Latest news with #SamHayes
Winnipeg Free Press
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
North Carolina to send mailers to some 200,000 voters asking for missing registration info
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina election officials will send mailers to some 200,000 voters asking them to provide information missing from their state registration records, seeking to address a Republican concern raised during a protracted legal fight over a state Supreme Court seat and a recent U.S. Justice Department lawsuit. The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted unanimously Tuesday to begin contacting voters whose records lack a driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Last month, the Justice Department sued state election officials, alleging the board had violated federal law by failing to collect the identifying information. The lawsuit was noteworthy because it was filed just weeks after Republicans wrested control of the state elections board away from the state's Democratic governor after years of failed attempts and gave the power of board appointments to the state auditor, a Republican. The law was passed late last year, before Republicans lost their supermajority in the Legislature, which they used to override the governor's veto. The Justice Department sought to force the state board to create a prompt method to obtain the identifying information. Sam Hayes, the board's new executive director, told board members on Tuesday that the department had 'tentatively signed off' on the plan, which involves sending up to three mailers to voters that will include a self-addressed, postage-prepaid return envelope with a form for collecting the information. 'The goal here is to obtain that information as efficiently as possible and satisfy the outstanding litigation here and, of course, comport with federal law,' Hayes said. The previous state board had acknowledged the issue and updated the registration form to make it clear that either a driver's license number or, if a voter didn't have a driver's license, the last four digits of a Social Security number were required. But it decided it was not going to ask voters to provide the information, pointing to the state's voter ID law which confirms a voter's identity. About half of the 200,000 affected voters would be limited to casting provisional ballots until they provide the information to the state, Hayes said. The first two mailers combined could cost between $300,000 and $450,000, according to preliminary estimates. Jeff Carmon, one of two Democrats on the five-member board, said he would support the proposal despite concerns the board was requiring voters to act to ensure they can continue to vote. 'It's hard to understand starvation if you've never felt the pangs of hunger,' Carmon said. 'It's the same situation with voting obstacles. Your perspective of an obstacle may not be the same as someone who's consistently had their identity and their validity questioned.' Republicans on the board said the actions were needed to ensure the state's voter lists were accurate and that the request of voters was reasonable to comply with federal law. Also Tuesday, the state's 100 county election boards were reconstituted under the same law passed by GOP lawmakers that changed the appointment process for the state board. The state board, as required previously, appointed four of the five members for each county board with an even split between the two major political parties. But instead of the Democratic governor appointing the fifth person, who serves as chair, State Auditor Dave Boliek made the chair selections Tuesday. Like the state board, the appointment changes were expected to give Republicans 3-2 majorities on county boards as well. __ Cassidy reported from Atlanta.
Washington Post
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
North Carolina to send mailers to some 200,000 voters asking for missing registration info
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina election officials will send mailers to some 200,000 voters asking them to provide information missing from their state registration records, seeking to address a Republican concern raised during a protracted legal fight over a state Supreme Court seat and a recent U.S. Justice Department lawsuit . The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted unanimously Tuesday to begin contacting voters whose records lack a driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Last month, the Justice Department sued state election officials, alleging the board had violated federal law by failing to collect the identifying information. The lawsuit was noteworthy because it was filed just weeks after Republicans wrested control of the state elections board away from the state's Democratic governor after years of failed attempts and gave the power of board appointments to the state auditor, a Republican. The law was passed late last year, before Republicans lost their supermajority in the Legislature, which they used to override the governor's veto. The Justice Department sought to force the state board to create a prompt method to obtain the identifying information. Sam Hayes, the board's new executive director, told board members on Tuesday that the department had 'tentatively signed off' on the plan, which involves sending up to three mailers to voters that will include a self-addressed, postage-prepaid return envelope with a form for collecting the information. 'The goal here is to obtain that information as efficiently as possible and satisfy the outstanding litigation here and, of course, comport with federal law,' Hayes said. The previous state board had acknowledged the issue and updated the registration form to make it clear that either a driver's license number or, if a voter didn't have a driver's license, the last four digits of a Social Security number were required. But it decided it was not going to ask voters to provide the information, pointing to the state's voter ID law which confirms a voter's identity. About half of the 200,000 affected voters would be limited to casting provisional ballots until they provide the information to the state, Hayes said. The first two mailers combined could cost between $300,000 and $450,000, according to preliminary estimates. Jeff Carmon, one of two Democrats on the five-member board, said he would support the proposal despite concerns the board was requiring voters to act to ensure they can continue to vote. 'It's hard to understand starvation if you've never felt the pangs of hunger,' Carmon said. 'It's the same situation with voting obstacles. Your perspective of an obstacle may not be the same as someone who's consistently had their identity and their validity questioned.' Republicans on the board said the actions were needed to ensure the state's voter lists were accurate and that the request of voters was reasonable to comply with federal law. Also Tuesday, the state's 100 county election boards were reconstituted under the same law passed by GOP lawmakers that changed the appointment process for the state board. The state board, as required previously, appointed four of the five members for each county board with an even split between the two major political parties. But instead of the Democratic governor appointing the fifth person, who serves as chair, State Auditor Dave Boliek made the chair selections Tuesday. Like the state board, the appointment changes were expected to give Republicans 3-2 majorities on county boards as well. __ Cassidy reported from Atlanta.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Carolina to send mailers to some 200,000 voters asking for missing registration info
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina election officials will send mailers to some 200,000 voters asking them to provide information missing from their state registration records, seeking to address a Republican concern raised during a protracted legal fight over a state Supreme Court seat and a recent U.S. Justice Department lawsuit. The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted unanimously Tuesday to begin contacting voters whose records lack a driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Last month, the Justice Department sued state election officials, alleging the board had violated federal law by failing to collect the identifying information. The lawsuit was noteworthy because it was filed just weeks after Republicans wrested control of the state elections board away from the state's Democratic governor after years of failed attempts and gave the power of board appointments to the state auditor, a Republican. The law was passed late last year, before Republicans lost their supermajority in the Legislature, which they used to override the governor's veto. The Justice Department sought to force the state board to create a prompt method to obtain the identifying information. Sam Hayes, the board's new executive director, told board members on Tuesday that the department had 'tentatively signed off' on the plan, which involves sending up to three mailers to voters that will include a self-addressed, postage-prepaid return envelope with a form for collecting the information. 'The goal here is to obtain that information as efficiently as possible and satisfy the outstanding litigation here and, of course, comport with federal law,' Hayes said. The previous state board had acknowledged the issue and updated the registration form to make it clear that either a driver's license number or, if a voter didn't have a driver's license, the last four digits of a Social Security number were required. But it decided it was not going to ask voters to provide the information, pointing to the state's voter ID law which confirms a voter's identity. About half of the 200,000 affected voters would be limited to casting provisional ballots until they provide the information to the state, Hayes said. The first two mailers combined could cost between $300,000 and $450,000, according to preliminary estimates. Jeff Carmon, one of two Democrats on the five-member board, said he would support the proposal despite concerns the board was requiring voters to act to ensure they can continue to vote. 'It's hard to understand starvation if you've never felt the pangs of hunger,' Carmon said. 'It's the same situation with voting obstacles. Your perspective of an obstacle may not be the same as someone who's consistently had their identity and their validity questioned.' Republicans on the board said the actions were needed to ensure the state's voter lists were accurate and that the request of voters was reasonable to comply with federal law. Also Tuesday, the state's 100 county election boards were reconstituted under the same law passed by GOP lawmakers that changed the appointment process for the state board. The state board, as required previously, appointed four of the five members for each county board with an even split between the two major political parties. But instead of the Democratic governor appointing the fifth person, who serves as chair, State Auditor Dave Boliek made the chair selections Tuesday. Like the state board, the appointment changes were expected to give Republicans 3-2 majorities on county boards as well. __ Cassidy reported from Atlanta.
Associated Press
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
North Carolina to send mailers to some 200,000 voters asking for missing registration info
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina election officials will send mailers to some 200,000 voters asking them to provide information missing from their state registration records, seeking to address a Republican concern raised during a protracted legal fight over a state Supreme Court seat and a recent U.S. Justice Department lawsuit. The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted unanimously Tuesday to begin contacting voters whose records lack a driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Last month, the Justice Department sued state election officials, alleging the board had violated federal law by failing to collect the identifying information. The lawsuit was noteworthy because it was filed just weeks after Republicans wrested control of the state elections board away from the state's Democratic governor after years of failed attempts and gave the power of board appointments to the state auditor, a Republican. The law was passed late last year, before Republicans lost their supermajority in the Legislature, which they used to override the governor's veto. The Justice Department sought to force the state board to create a prompt method to obtain the identifying information. Sam Hayes, the board's new executive director, told board members on Tuesday that the department had 'tentatively signed off' on the plan, which involves sending up to three mailers to voters that will include a self-addressed, postage-prepaid return envelope with a form for collecting the information. 'The goal here is to obtain that information as efficiently as possible and satisfy the outstanding litigation here and, of course, comport with federal law,' Hayes said. The previous state board had acknowledged the issue and updated the registration form to make it clear that either a driver's license number or, if a voter didn't have a driver's license, the last four digits of a Social Security number were required. But it decided it was not going to ask voters to provide the information, pointing to the state's voter ID law which confirms a voter's identity. About half of the 200,000 affected voters would be limited to casting provisional ballots until they provide the information to the state, Hayes said. The first two mailers combined could cost between $300,000 and $450,000, according to preliminary estimates. Jeff Carmon, one of two Democrats on the five-member board, said he would support the proposal despite concerns the board was requiring voters to act to ensure they can continue to vote. 'It's hard to understand starvation if you've never felt the pangs of hunger,' Carmon said. 'It's the same situation with voting obstacles. Your perspective of an obstacle may not be the same as someone who's consistently had their identity and their validity questioned.' Republicans on the board said the actions were needed to ensure the state's voter lists were accurate and that the request of voters was reasonable to comply with federal law. Also Tuesday, the state's 100 county election boards were reconstituted under the same law passed by GOP lawmakers that changed the appointment process for the state board. The state board, as required previously, appointed four of the five members for each county board with an even split between the two major political parties. But instead of the Democratic governor appointing the fifth person, who serves as chair, State Auditor Dave Boliek made the chair selections Tuesday. Like the state board, the appointment changes were expected to give Republicans 3-2 majorities on county boards as well. __ Cassidy reported from Atlanta.
CNN
27-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
Trump administration sues North Carolina election officials over thousands of voter registrations
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Tuesday against North Carolina election officials targeting the registration records of potentially hundreds of thousands of registered voters in the state. The new lawsuit alleges the North Carolina State Board of Elections violated the Help America Vote Act by failing to collect and record voters' driver's license numbers or the last four digits of their Social Security numbers. It pivots off of an argument made by a GOP state Supreme Court candidate who tried unsuccessfully to overturn his defeat to a Democratic incumbent. The Trump administration is asking for a court order that would require election officials to contact the registered voters in North Carolina who, according to the lawsuit, lack that information in their registration records. The lawsuit says a 'significant number' of registered voters lack the information, and it references an earlier administrative complaint with the board that estimated the number to be more than 200,000 registered voters. In a statement, board Executive Director Sam Hayes said that he only recently became aware of the lawsuit but that the 'failure to collect the information required by HAVA has been well documented.' 'Rest assured that I am committed to bringing North Carolina into compliance with federal law,' Hayes said. The new lawsuit follows through on priorities for President Donald Trump's second-term Justice Department, which administration officials have said would focus on cleaning voting rolls and rooting out election fraud. Several voting rights lawsuits brought by the prior administration have been dismissed by the new leadership. The head of the department's Civil Rights Division, Harmeet Dhillon, has made comments welcoming a mass exodus of career DOJ attorneys, describing them as being unwilling to execute the agenda of the president whom Americans put in the office. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in US elections. The lawsuit references an election rules overhaul Trump is trying to implement nationwide through an executive order. 'The cornerstone of public trust in government lies in free and fair elections. The core of the compact between a state and its citizens rests in ensuring that only eligible citizens can vote in elections,' the complaint says. With the new case, the department is following up on legal claims made by Judge Jefferson Griffin, who lost last year by 734 votes to state Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs. Griffin argued that the ballots of some 60,000 voters who lacked the ID numbers in their registration records should be thrown out, an argument that the Republican-leaning North Carolina Supreme Court rejected. In its ruling, the state Supreme Court noted Griffin had presented no evidence that a 'significant number' of these 60,000 votes 'were cast by individuals whose identity was not verified by voter identification or who were not otherwise qualified to vote.' The court did rule in favor of challenges Griffin was bringing to a smaller pool of ballots, but that ruling was blocked by a federal judge. Griffin backed down from the legal fight earlier this month. Unlike Griffin's retrospective arguments, the court order that the Justice Department seeks is forward-looking, as the DOJ is demanding a sweeping process for updating the voter registrations of the 200,000 individuals said to be missing the numbers in the state's database. If a voter reports lacking the ID numbers in question when contacted by state election officials, under the process the DOJ lawsuit proposes, they would be assigned a special identifying number. The lawsuit, however, does not make clear whether the affected voters who do not respond to outreach from election officials should be purged from the rolls entirely. A spokesperson for the DOJ did not respond to CNN's request for clarity. Clerical errors that led to voters' ID numbers to not be recorded were flagged to North Carolina election officials well before the dispute over the state Supreme Court race, and they were subject to an unsuccessful Republican Party lawsuit brought before the 2024 election. The board has already fixed the registration forms that failed to list the ID numbers as required information. The new DOJ lawsuit, however, takes issue with the 'ad hoc' plan the state board has put forward for updating the existing registrations missing the information – by having county officials collect it if and when those voters show up at polling places to vote. State law requires voters to show photo ID when they cast a ballot. Until recently, the majority of the election board's members were appointees of the Democratic governor. The board was recently reconfigured to be majority-Republican appointees, under a law passed by North Carolina's GOP-controlled legislature last year just before Republicans lost their supermajority in the state Capitol. Hayes was appointed as the board's new executive director by Republican majority.
