Many more North Carolinians voted early this year than in the 2010 midterm elections. Make no mistake: This progress came from the hard work of many volunteers who persevered in spite of North Carolina’s voter suppression bill. Had the state’s Republican majority not made voting more difficult — ostensibly to eliminate voter fraud — more students could have exercised their right to vote.
In the past, students could vote out of their precinct, had 17 days of early voting and benefited from a sensible policy that allowed them to register and vote at the same time. This year, students who did not register to vote at all by the time early voting started were out of luck. Students who did vote early had only 10 days to do so and come election day, they had to vote in their precinct. These are only a few of the ways the state’s voting laws have changed for the worse.
Who do these changes benefit? Only parties with unpopular policies view making voting more difficult as a compelling interest. Meanwhile, students, who are mobile and newer to voting than older Americans, are disproportionately harmed, as are many interest groups who stand to suffer from Republican control.
To minimize future harm, students must pressure lawmakers not to treat the status quo as the new normal. They should vote for candidates who prioritize repealing the voter ID law in its entirety and work to make sure that their peers are registered going forward. Democracies should facilitate civic participation. North Carolina Republicans violated this norm and must be held accountable.
