A Guide For The (Voting) Perplexed

WFDD political reporter, Paul Garber, put together a how-to guide for reporters covering the polls during this election season. Given the complex nature of the changing primaries and ramifications of the Voter ID law, this information can also be useful for those heading out to vote Tuesday.

Photo ID:

• The most important thing to know is that people can vote whether or not they have an ID. Voters who DON'T have an ID can vote by provisional ballot if they sign an affidavit saying why they could not get one. People who HAVE an ID but don't have it with them may vote by provisional ballot and bring their ID to election officials later to prove their identity.
• Student IDs – even those for state colleges – are not an acceptable form of ID for voting. This may lead to issues at campus precincts.
• Also, there may be discrepancies between the IDs and the voter registration data. A Texas college student reported that she was not allowed to vote because the ID she got specifically for the purposes of voting did not match the spelling of her name on the voter rolls.
• Out-of-state students may have more trouble getting proper ID. An out-of-state NC State student wrote in a student newspaper that he spent hours going between agencies trying to get a proper ID.

Things To Know Covering The NC Primary, Specifically: 

• The Congressional races have been pushed back to June, but the candidates will still be on the ballots for the March primary. This may lead to some confusion as people may think their vote for their preferred candidate counts in this election, which it doesn't. 
• Same-day registration is NOT allowed on primary day. This could cause some confusion because it was allowed during early voting. 
• Out-of-precinct voting IS allowed by provisional ballot. There may be some confusion about this among voters and poll workers. When the legislature made sweeping changes to the state's voting laws, it eliminated out-of-precinct voting, but the courts have let it continue and it will be allowed during the primary.
• High voter turnout could of course lead to long lines. But it could also lead to precincts running out of ballots, as has happened this year during the Michigan primary and the Texas GOP primary.

Key Reminder:

Poll workers are not full-time election professionals. They do get training, but given the vast number of changes to the voting laws, it's possible there could be instances where voters get bad information. There are more than 2,700 voting precincts across the state, so it's likely there would be some variability in the knowledge of the workers.

Recording At The Precincts:

This is important not just for the actions of reporters but for people who may be making their own recordings or who may try to use video recording to intimidate voters.  The following is per the State Board of Elections:

• Precincts designate a “buffer zone” near the entrance of a polling location.  Boards of elections do not regulate activity outside the buffer zone. G.S. §  163-166.4.
• If members of the media wish to enter the buffer zone briefly, they must get permission from the chief judge at that precinct.  The chief judge may allow the media to photograph or record video inside the voting enclosure, with consent of the voters.  The media may not interview voters within the voting enclosure.
• No voter may be photographed or videoed marking their ballot.  It is a violation of law to photograph or video a marked ballot. G.S. § 163-166.3(b),(c)
• If you are photographing or videoing a candidate in the voting enclosure, only the permission of the candidate is required (not the chief judge). G.S. § 163-166.3(b)

For more information on this year's primaries, check out Paul Garber's coverage of the 2016 changes. Also, WFDD has all you need to know about the North Carolina Bond Referendum and what it could mean for the state, if passed.