§ 163-82.8 — Voter registration cards

North Carolina § 163-82.8

• Jurisdiction: North Carolina
• Ch. 163: Elections and Election Laws
• Art. 7A: Registration of Voters
• Subch. iii: qualifying to vote

Text

(a) Authority to Issue Card. - With the approval of the board of county commissioners, the county board of elections may issue to each voter in the county a voter registration card, or may issue cards to all voters registered after January 1, 1995.
(b) Content and Format of Card. - At a minimum, the voter registration card shall:
(1) List the voter's name, address, and voting place;
(2) Contain the address and telephone number of the county board of elections, along with blanks to report a change of address within the county, change of name, and change of party affiliation; and
(3) Be wallet size.
No voter registration card may be issued by a county board of elections unless the State Board has approved the format of the card.
(c) Ways County Board and Registrant May Use Card. - If the county board of elections issues voter registration cards, the county board may use that card as a notice of tentative approval of the voter's application pursuant to G.S. 163-82.7(c), provided that the mailing contains the statements and information required in that subsection. The county board may also satisfy the requirements of G.S. 163-82.15(b), 163-82.16(b), or 163-82.17(b) by sending the registrant a replacement of the voter registration card to verify change of address, change of name, or change of party affiliation. A registrant may use the card to report a change of address, change of name, or change of party affiliation, satisfying G.S. 163-82.15, 163-82.16, or 163-82.17.
(d) Card as Evidence of Registration. - A voter registration card shall be evidence of registration but shall not preclude a challenge as permitted by law.
(e) Display of Card May Not Be Required to Vote. - No county board of elections may require that a voter registration card be displayed in order to vote. (1901, c. 89, ss. 18, 21; Rev., ss. 4322, 4323; C.S., ss. 5946, 5947; 1923, c. 111, s. 3; 1933, c. 165, s. 5; 1947, c. 475; 1953, c. 843; 1955, c. 800; 1957, c. 784, ss. 3, 4; 1961, c. 382; 1963, c. 303, ss. 1, 2; 1967, c. 761, s. 3; c. 775, s. 1; 1969, c. 750, ss. 1, 2; 1977, c. 626, s. 1; 1979, c. 539, s. 5; c. 766, s. 2; 1981, c. 33, s. 2; 1981 (Reg. Sess., 1982), c. 1265, s. 6; 1983, c. 553; 1985, c. 260, s. 1; 1991, c. 363, s. 1; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 1032, s. 1; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 762, s. 2; 2015-103, s. 8(f); 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-144, s. 3.1(b); 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b).)
§ 163-82.8A. Voter photo identification cards.
(a) The county board of elections shall, in accordance with this section, issue without charge voter photo identification cards upon request to registered voters. The voter photo identification cards shall contain a photograph of the registered voter, the name of the registered voter, and the voter registration number for that registered voter. The voter photo identification card shall be used for voting purposes only and shall expire 10 years from the date of issuance. The expiration of a voter photo identification card shall not create a presumption that the voter's voter registration has expired or become inactive, and a voter's voter registration shall not be rendered inactive solely due to the expiration of the voter photo identification card.
(b) The State Board shall make available to county boards of elections the equipment necessary to print voter photo identification cards. County boards of elections shall operate and maintain the equipment necessary to print voter photo identification cards.
(c) County boards of elections or the State Board of Elections shall maintain a secure database containing the photographs of registered voters taken for the purpose of issuing voter photo identification cards.
(d) The State Board shall adopt rules to ensure at a minimum, but not limited to, the following:
(1) A registered voter seeking to obtain a voter photo identification card shall provide the registered voter's name, the registered voter's date of birth, and the last four digits of the voter's social security number.
(2) Voter photo identification cards shall be issued at any time, except during the time period between the end of early voting for a primary or election as provided in G.S. 163-166.40 and election day for each primary and election.
(3) If the registered voter loses or defaces the voter's photo identification card, the registered voter may obtain a duplicate card without charge from his or her county board of elections upon request in person, or by telephone or mail.
(4) If a registered voter has a change of name and has updated his or her voter registration to reflect the new name, the registered voter may request and obtain a replacement card from the registered voter's county board of elections by providing the registered voter's date of birth and the last four digits of the registered voter's social security number in person, by telephone, or by mail.
(5) Voter photo identification cards issued must contain the following disclaimer: "Expiration of this voter photo identification card does not automatically result in the voter's voter registration becoming inactive."
(e) Ninety days prior to expiration, the county board of elections shall notify any registered voter issued a voter photographic identification card under this section of the impending expiration of the voter photographic identification card. (2018-144, s. 1.1(a); 2018-146, s. 3.1(a); 2023-134, s. 26.6(c); 2023-139, s. 6.7(a); 2023-140, s. 12.)