The Republican-led North Carolina Board of Elections has recently eliminated voting sites from several university campuses, including NC A&T State University, Western Carolina University, UNC Greensboro, and Elon University.
Students from NC A&T State University, Western Carolina University, UNC Greensboro, and College Democrats of North Carolina have taken a stand against this disenfranchisement tactic by suing the election board on the grounds that the board is unconstitutionally restricting their right to vote based on age.
“State and county officials brushed aside urgent warnings that their decisions would disproportionately burden young and Black voters and denigrated students who advocated for their rights,” the lawsuit says.
Election officials have stated that they do not like campus voting because it’s “hard to find parking.” However, NC A&T State University, the largest historically Black university in the United States, has been a major hub for Black voters. Western Carolina University was also cited in the lawsuit to serve more Black voters in Jackson County than any other polling place in 2024.
The lack of parking on campuses appears to be an excuse from the board to justify eliminating critical voting sites that Black voters frequent, and that is convenient for most students. The lawsuit also states that eliminating the voting sites burdens many students who have no means of transportation, as they would be forced to travel long distances to vote.
“For many of these students, voting in college is their first opportunity to exercise the franchise — a milestone in their civic engagement and a connection to the generations of Black North Carolinians who fought for the right to vote,” the lawsuit reads.
With the March primary election looming, we must pay close attention to how the conservative-leaning North Carolina Board of Elections is disenfranchising and repressing voters throughout the state. We must protect on-campus polling places and speak out against the injustices of the board in their attempts to halt our right to be civically engaged.
