NCGOP Passes Resolution to Reduce Early Voting Days

The North Carolina Republican Party has approved a resolution to reduce the number of early voting days in North Carolina. 

Currently, the State of North Carolina provides a 17-day early voting period prior to statewide elections. With around 319 early voting locations, expenses for staff, facilities, utilities, security, and voting equipment reach approximately $5.5 million, with local governments bearing $100,000 or more. Meanwhile, election turnout data indicate a large percentage of the early votes are cast during the final days of the early voting period.

Delegates to the State GOP Convention resolved to urge the North Carolina General Assembly to reduce the current 17-day early voting period to a six-day early voting period beginning with the Fall election. The delegates further resolved to maintain the appropriate geographic distribution of early voting locations, ensure sufficient staffing and prioritize high-demand voting periods to minimize inconvenience to voters. 

In a drive for transparency, the delegates voted to encourage election administrators to publish cost and turnout analyses to determine the most effective early voting schedule based on participation patterns, staffing requirements and fiscal considerations.