RALEIGH — A new program that is free to use will allow North Carolina residents to register to vote using the internet.
The State Board of Elections and N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles have launched a service to allow NCDMV customers to apply to register to vote or update existing voter registration information online, according to the Elections Board. The service does not require the user to complete a NCDMV transaction, such as a license renewal or duplicate, at the same time.
The service comes at a time when many county boards of elections have limited access or are closed to the public, and while residents are being asked to stay home because of the spread of COVID-19.
Existing NCDMV customers with a North Carolina driver’s license or NCDMV-issued ID may apply to register to vote or update voter address or political party information through the NCDMV Voter Registration web page, according to the Board. The application currently does not allow voters to change their name.
All voter registration services are free.
“We’re excited for this new service. It’s another way we can help North Carolina voters while we practice social distancing,” said Karen Brinson Bell, state Elections Board executive director.
“The NCDMV already offered online voter registration services to customers completing transactions,” NCDMV Commissioner Torre Jessup said. “It made sense to collaborate with the State Board of Elections to now offer that same process without requiring a transaction so we could provide a valuable and convenient service for North Carolinians.”
Individuals using the online process will authorize the signature NCDMV has on file for them to be affixed to their voter registration application.
NCDMV’s vendor, PayIt, is hosting the service. A link to the voter registration service also is available through the State Board of Elections’ website https://www.ncsbe.gov/Voters/Registering-to-Vote.
County boards of elections will continue to confirm the eligibility of online registrants through standard procedures, including verification mailings, according to the state Elections Board.
Eligible North Carolina residents who are not NCDMV customers must still fill out a paper voter registration form and return it to their county board of elections to register to vote or make changes to their voter registration.
To check your N.C. voter registration, go online to https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/.
