Voter Registration and Qualifications Overview

VOTER REGISTRATION VOTER REGISTRATION OVERVIEW OVERVIEW

REGISTRATION BASICS Registration is Important Qualifications Requirements Processing Applications Residency

Precinct Officials Voter Registration is Central to Elections Activity Observers Voting Voter Registration Candidacy Petitions

Prerequisite to voting Determines where you vote Determines whether you are eligible to run for elected office. Determines whether you can sign petition Determines whether you can serve as a precinct official or observer

Qualifications US Citizen 18 years or older before next general election Resident Not disqualified due to felony status

26th Amendment Amendment XXVI Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.

163-55. Qualifications to vote; exclusion from electoral franchise. (a) Residence Period for State Elections. Every person born in the United States, and every person who has been naturalized, and who shall have resided in the State of North Carolina and in the precinct, ward, or other election district in which the person offers to vote for 30 days next preceding an election, shall, if otherwise qualified as prescribed in this Chapter, be qualified to vote in any election held in this State. Removal from one precinct, ward, or other election district to another in this State shall not operate to deprive any person of the right to vote in the precinct, ward, or other election district from which he has removed until 30 days after the person's removal. Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, the following classes of persons shall not be allowed to vote in this State: (1) Persons under 18 years of age. (2) Any person adjudged guilty of a felony against this State or the United States, or adjudged guilty of a felony in another state that also would be a felony if it had been committed in this State, unless that person shall be first restored to the rights of citizenship in the manner prescribed by law.

Qualifications US Citizen 18 years or older before next general election Resident Not disqualified due to felony status

RESIDENCY That place shall be considered the residence of a person in which that person's habitation is fixed, and to which, whenever that person is absent, has the intention of returning.

Requirements Signature Checkboxes* Valid Address Full Name Identification* Date of Birth

Processing Registrations Is the applicant qualified? Is the Application Complete? Tentative Determination If Qualified, then mail verification If not Qualified, then DENY

Incomplete Initial Notice 2nd Notice Archive Queue

No ID or ID does not validate ID does not validate No ID REGISTERED

Check for Duplication Check in the County Check in the State

Verification Process (NEW) Qualified Not Qualified Not a citizen DENY Tentative determination made Not 18 HOLD Verification of address by mail Not a resident OR SEND DENY

1st OK Not Returned Verification VERIFICATION PROCESS Mailing 1st 2nd VERIFICATION Verification Undeliverable Mailing NEW 2nd OK Verification Returned Mailing 2nd DENIED Verification Mailing Undeliverable

1st OK Not Returned Verification VERIFICATION PROCESS Mailing 1st CONFIRMATION Verification EXISTING Undeliverable Mailing OK Confirmation Returned Mailing Not Returned Undeliverable Confirmation INACTIVE Mailing

1st Verification Mailing VERIFICATION PROCESS Returned = 2nd Mailing Not Returned = verified 2nd Verification Mailing Not Returned = verified Returned = Confirmation Mailing ONE-STOP Confirmation Mailing Voter Returned Undeliverable or Not Returned Inactive

G.S. 163-82.7 (g) Voting When Verification Process Is Incomplete. In cases where an election occurs before the process of verification outlined in this section has had time to be completed, the county board of elections shall be guided by the following rules: (1) If the county board has made a tentative determination that an applicant is qualified to vote under subsection (a) of this section, then that person shall not be denied the right to vote in person in an election unless the Postal Service has returned as undeliverable two notices to the applicant: one mailed pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and one mailed pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. This subdivision does not preclude a challenge to the voter's qualifications under Article 8 of this Chapter. (2) If the Postal Service has returned as undeliverable a notice sent within 25 days before the election to the applicant under subsection (c) of this section, then the applicant may vote only in person in that first election and may not vote by absentee ballot except in person under G.S. 163-227.2. The county board of elections shall establish a procedure at the voting site for: a. Obtaining the correct address of any person described in this subdivision who appears to vote in person; and b. Assuring that the person votes in the proper place and in the proper contests. If a notice mailed under subsection (c) or subsection (e) of this section is returned as undeliverable after a person has already voted by absentee ballot, then that person's ballot may be challenged in accordance with G.S. 163-89. (3) If a notice sent pursuant to subsection (c) or (e) of this section is returned by the Postal Service as undeliverable after a person has already voted in an election, then the county board shall treat the person as a registered voter but shall send a confirmation mailing pursuant to G.S. 163-82.14(d)(2) and remove or retain the person on the registration records in accordance with that subdivision.

Inactive Voters Failed verification mailing 2 Federal Election Cycles REMOVED

Voter Status Denied Active Temporary Inactive Removed

CLOSING POINTS One-stop begins April 19th. Try to enter all timely registrations prior to this date. Voter registration deadline for May Primary is April 13, 2012. There will be no registration between 4/13/2012 and possibly 7/17/2012. During one-stop, applicants can register, update name or address, but can t change party. Send late registrations the Notice of Late Registration. It is in SEIMS. Remember, you will need to process IPRs within 2 business days. Applicants will not be able to change party affiliation after April 13th.

Registration Voter Registration and SEIMS Processing Apps Voting SEIMS = Voter Lists, Voter History State Candidacy Candidate Filing Elections Information Management System