Why Thousands of Young Voters’ Ballots Get Tossed, and How to Avoid It

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Early voting is underway, and you can find all of the INDY’s election coverage here. Our questionnaires for candidates running in local races in Wake, Orange, and Durham counties, and for state house and senate seats in Triangle districts, are live and will continue to be updated. We’ll be reporting up to Election Day on November 5 and after and plan to bring you coverage on state constitutional amendments, candidate visits, and more. Send us your election thoughts, questions, and concerns and we’ll try to get you answers promptly. 

Good morning, readers.

Duke senior Catherine Flanagan thought she did everything right when she showed up to vote in the March primary earlier this year. 

But her New York driver’s license wasn’t accepted under North Carolina’s new voter ID laws, forcing her to cast a provisional ballot that ultimately got thrown out when she couldn’t make a follow-up trip to verify her identity.

“I didn’t have a car on campus, and so I was lucky to have even made it to the polls,” Flanagan says. 

She wasn’t alone. In the March primary, the number of Duke students that cast a provisional ballot was five times higher than it was in the 2020 general election—and one in eight of those provisional ballots were thrown out. Rejection rates were even higher at NCCU.

With early voting for the 2024 general election underway, from Storey Wertheimer of the 9th Street Journal, here’s some local news that students can use: 

• Aim to vote during the early voting period (October 17 to November 2) instead of on Election Day to allow time to fix any registration issues.
• Bring more documentation than you think you need: a valid photo ID (passport, NC license, or approved physical student ID card), proof of your current residence, and your voter registration information. 
• Remember that digital student IDs won’t work
• If you’re handed a provisional ballot despite your preparation, speak up: ask why and whether there are other options. You can call Democracy NC’s voter hotline at (888) OUR-VOTE for guidance.

Have a good Wednesday.

—Lena

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Durham

Rhiannon Giddens is bringing a new festival, Biscuits and Banjos, to downtown Durham this April.

Broken HVAC systems and other maintenance issues still plague some Durham schools. 

Wake

Presidents of HBCUs Shaw and St. Augustine’s University are pressing City of Raleigh leaders for more funding.

Orange

Land in Carraway Village originally planned for a putt-putt course will be used for housing instead.

North Carolina

Lt. Gov. and GOP gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson has revised the $50 million in damages he’s seeking in his lawsuit against CNN down to at least $25,000.

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