North Carolina lawmakers are considering reducing the early voting period from 17 to 10 days, citing the stress it puts on local election boards. NC Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, expressed concerns about the length of the early voting period after narrowly losing his primary election. Several Republican House representatives have filed bills to cut the primary early voting period to six days, while a new bill, Senate Bill 1084, would reduce the early voting period to 10 days for all elections.

Impact on Voters

According to State Board of Elections data, a majority of voters in North Carolina have opted to vote early in the past decade of general midterm and presidential elections. In the 2024 general election, 74% of overall turnout was from early voting. However, election directors across the state are preparing for any outcome and have expressed concerns about the potential impact on voters, particularly college students who rely on early voting.

North Carolina College Democrats President Beck Whitehead emphasized the importance of early voting for students, saying it gives them time to be informed and make their voices heard. If lawmakers cut early voting to 10 days, election workers would either have a greater flow during the remaining early voting days or Election Day, which could lead to longer lines and voter complaints.

Cost Savings and Poll Workers

While reducing early voting days could result in minor cost savings, election directors do not agree that it would alleviate issues recruiting poll workers. The recruiting difficulty has more to do with the long hours and less the number of days, said Harnett County Election Director Claire Jones. Onslow County Election Director Jessica O’Neill added that reducing early voting days could deter poll workers from signing up, as they may lose hours if the days are shortened.

Original reporting: Carolina Public Press — read the source article.