North Carolina early voting begins, with students targeted by suppression schemes

Key Points:

• North Carolina's State Board of Elections rejected a polling place at North Carolina A&T University, the nation's largest historically Black university, forcing students to travel long distances or take shuttles to vote, highlighting ongoing voting access challenges in the state.
• The board also significantly reduced Sunday early voting hours statewide, cutting them by more than half, a move criticized for disproportionately affecting Black voters who rely on "Souls to the polls" church voting traditions.
• Mail ballot requests in North Carolina have dropped nearly 33% compared to 2022, partly due to new, stricter ballot submission rules including complex envelope sealing requirements and witness signatures, leading to higher ballot rejection rates.
• Voters have received multiple conflicting letters about voting eligibility and identification requirements, including notices from the SAVE database incorrectly identifying some registered voters as potential non-citizens, causing confusion and concern among voters.
• Despite widespread public opposition and advocacy efforts, election officials largely maintained voting site cuts and restrictions, which critics argue are part of a broader pattern of voter suppression and democratic backsliding in North Carolina.