Under Republican control, North Carolina’s Board of Elections has repeatedly backed measures that limit or suppress the vote. In the past few months, several county boards have voted to eliminate or move early vote sites located on college campuses, including long-standing locations that have served students for decades.
Despite public comments and pleas from college students across North Carolina to keep locations accessible, the boards have removed many early voting sites.
Amid the NCGOP’s attack on voting, statewide groups like Influence NC are helping ensure college students can access a voting site in the coming weeks.
During the early vote period of October 15 to October 31, Influence NC is hosting early voting parties titled “Party2ThePolls” across North Carolina.
More than 10 events are planned across the state as organizers aim to get communities excited about voting and help make early voting accessible for students by providing transportation at several college campuses.
The events will also include food, voting materials, and more.
The following events are set to take place across North Carolina, per the Influence NC event flyers:
- Oct 15: Elizabeth City State University
- Oct 16: NC State University
- Oct 18: Duke and NC Central University
- Oct 19: Wake Forest University
- Oct 20: East Carolina University
- Oct 21: UNC-Chapel Hill
- Oct 22: UNC-Wilmington
- Oct 23: Western Carolina University
- Oct 24: UNC-Greensboro and NC A&T University
- Oct 25: UNC-Charlotte
- Oct 28: UNC-Asheville
- Oct 29: Appalachian State University
Influence NC is a statewide organization that uses social media to inform people about local and state government, encourage voting, and advocate for young people across the state. The organization currently has 14 college chapters across the state and collaborates with over 220 content creators.
How Did We Get Here?
At the center of this effort to restrict voting access on college campuses is Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek. Since taking office, Boliek has appointed Republican members to all 100 county boards, creating a Republican majority on boards across the state.
The Republican majority boards have consistently voted to eliminate or move early voting sites for campuses, including N.C. State University, Western Carolina University, Elon University, and North Carolina A&T State University, the largest of the country’s historically Black colleges and universities, among many others.
According to NCLocal, Republican members on Jackson County’s election board revealed during a public meeting that they had been pressured by the Republican Party and state officials to deny a campus early voting site at Western Carolina University.
Eliminating student-accessible early voting polling places is just one of many voter suppression decisions the Republican state board has made this year.
To check out your early voting location, visit: North Carolina Early Voting Site Search
To find out an early voting party near you, visit: Influence NC Party2ThePolls
