North Carolina’s State Board of Elections has removed 747,000 voters from its rolls over the past 20 months, citing ineligibility as the main reason. The board explained that the majority of those purged had either moved without updating their address or had not voted in the last two federal elections, rendering them inactive.
The timing of the removal is critical as North Carolina is one of the key swing states in the upcoming 2024 presidential election, where President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are set to face off. Additionally, the state is hosting a closely watched gubernatorial race between Republican Mark Robinson and Democrat Josh Stein.
Republicans had been pushing for stricter oversight of voter rolls, filing lawsuits that accused the state of failing to remove ineligible voters. This latest purge follows those efforts, with GOP officials claiming victory in their push for election integrity. However, Democrats have accused Republicans of using these tactics to suppress votes, especially in a crucial swing state like North Carolina.
In a related issue, a Wake County resident filed a lawsuit claiming that voter registration forms were missing critical information, such as driver’s license and Social Security numbers, further raising questions about the state’s handling of voter registrations.
With the number of registered voters now at around 7.7 million, North Carolina’s ability to manage its voter rolls will remain a central focus in the lead-up to the 2024 election. The removal of nearly 750,000 voters has sparked further debate over how election officials should handle voter eligibility and election security.
