The State Board of Elections is responding to a federal announcement about hundreds of potential non-U.S. citizens on North Carolina’s voter rolls. The Department of Homeland Security recently released information indicating that the total was 1,599. There are about 7.8 million registered voters in the state.
In a statement, State Board of Elections officials vowed to follow all applicable laws to ensure each registrant receives due process before initiating any removal proceeding.
Forsyth County Board of Elections director Tim Tsujii says all county boards of elections are mandated by the state to conduct routine maintenance list practices every week.
"We receive reports of voters that may have moved from county to county within the state of North Carolina," says Tsujii. "We receive reports of voters that have recently passed away or are deceased, reports on convicted felons, duplicate registration, and voters that may have requested for their removal of their voter registration."
Tsujii adds that confirmation cards are mailed out every couple of years to voters who may have missed two previous federal elections or whose status was changed to inactive.
Tsujii says the best way for voters to ensure that their registration is up to date is to verify it online at either their county or state board of elections website.