More Than 700,000 Ineligible Voters Removed From North Carolina's Rolls Ahead of 2024 Election

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North Carolina has taken significant steps to safeguard its upcoming 2024 election by removing more than 700,000 ineligible voters from its registration rolls. The North Carolina State Board of Elections announced that over the past 20 months, it identified 747,000 individuals who were no longer eligible to vote, and removed them accordingly.

This action comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee (RNC) accusing the state’s election board of negligence in maintaining accurate voter rolls. The RNC’s lawsuit, which was supported by the North Carolina Republican Party, claimed that the board had permitted more than 225,000 people to register without providing necessary identification information, such as driver’s licenses or Social Security numbers. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges the board failed to check jury questionnaires to identify non-citizens, a violation of standard election law.

Among those removed from the voter rolls were non-citizens, deceased individuals, duplicate registrants, and people who had moved out of state or were convicted of felonies. The cleaning of voter rolls is seen as a crucial step in ensuring the integrity of the state’s election process, especially as North Carolina is regarded as a critical swing state in the 2024 presidential race.

Michael Whatley, Chairman of the RNC, expressed concern over the board’s actions, stating, “The NCSBE has once again failed in its mandate to keep non-citizens off the voter rolls, fueling distrust and jeopardizing our elections. We are committed to the basic principle that only Americans should decide American elections.”

The issue of voter registration fraud in North Carolina has garnered attention in recent years. In 2023, the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) found over 1,400 non-citizens on the state’s voter rolls, attributing the problem to the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993, commonly known as “Motor Voter.” PILF noted that the NVRA made it easier for foreign nationals to register by allowing states to inadvertently add non-citizens to the rolls.

North Carolina, a pivotal battleground state, has historically leaned Republican in presidential elections, with only one Democrat, former President Barack Obama in 2008, winning the state in modern history. According to recent polls, the race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris remains neck-and-neck, with Trump holding 47.7 percent of support and Harris trailing closely at 47.6 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight.

As the 2024 election approaches, the focus on election integrity remains critical in North Carolina, with both parties keenly aware of the state’s importance in determining the next president.