Starting in 2020, a new law will require North Carolina voters to present photo identification before casting a ballot. But what about voters who don’t have access to acceptable IDs? The New Hanover County Board of Elections held two seminars this week to answer questions about the law.
Acceptable forms of identification include driver’s licenses, passports, military IDs, tribal cards, and student IDs. But New Hanover County Elections Director, Rae Hunter Havens, says even if someone can’t get one of these, the county Board of Elections will provide photo IDs free of charge. And, there are other options:
“...they can always vote provisionally. No voter will be turned away. And if they either bring in an acceptable form of ID before canvass or they fill out an affidavit declaring that they had a reasonable impediment to obtaining a photo ID, then that provisional ballot will be approved.”
Reasonable impediments include disability or illness, a lack of transportation, or work schedule, among others. The deadline to register to vote is October 11th.
