RALEIGH, N.C. — The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated a federal lawsuit against North Carolina’s election officials, alleging violations of federal election laws related to the voter registration process. Filed on Tuesday, the complaint contends that state authorities have not ensured that voter registration applications adhere to necessary identification requirements.
The lawsuit seeks a court order to compel the North Carolina election board to take prompt action to address the issue, especially as local elections are set to begin in September. The suit highlights growing concerns over election integrity amid scrutiny from both state and federal authorities, particularly in battleground states where competitive races abound.
At the center of the dispute is the state’s alleged failure to comply with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2003. This federal law requires that voter registration forms include a driver’s license number, the last four digits of a Social Security number, or another unique state-issued identifier. The DOJ claims that for several years, North Carolina’s registration forms did not meet these standards and that the state’s election board did not take adequate steps to rectify the situation.
The DOJ estimates that approximately 225,000 voter registrations may be affected, though the state has not confirmed the exact number. Despite updates to the form in 2023 under a Democrat-controlled board, there was a decision not to reach out to voters who registered without providing complete information. Instead, the board planned to collect this missing data at polling stations, an approach the DOJ argues is insufficient to ensure compliance.
This issue gained renewed attention after Election Day when the Republican candidate for a North Carolina Supreme Court position lodged formal protests against around 60,000 ballots. He contended that many of these votes belonged to individuals whose registration records lacked the necessary identifying numbers. Although later reports indicated that approximately half of those voters had submitted the required information, state appeals courts ruled that the disputed ballots should be included in the final count.
The recent election saw Democratic Justice Allison Riggs narrowly defeating Republican Jefferson Griffin by a margin of just 734 votes out of more than 5.5 million cast. This close outcome has intensified the focus on the legal battle surrounding the voter registration issues.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon emphasized the critical nature of maintaining accurate voter registration rolls, asserting that the Department of Justice would hold jurisdictions accountable for noncompliance with federal voting laws. Meanwhile, Sam Hayes, the executive director of the state election board, acknowledged the validity of the concerns raised and expressed a willingness to collaborate on a resolution.
The election board, which has undergone significant changes following a 2024 state law transferring appointment powers to the Republican-controlled State Auditor, may adopt a different strategy moving forward. The DOJ’s lawsuit will now proceed through the federal court system, with the department urging a swift response in light of the impending elections.
If the court grants the DOJ’s request, North Carolina would have 30 days to reach out to affected voters and rectify their registration records by collecting any missing identification numbers.
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