By james art The 2024 election will be the first time many college students will be able to vote, but new voter ID requirements could make registration more difficult for out-of-state voters or those who are constantly on the move.
“A lot of us are voting for the first time, so we’re not sure how we’re going to go through the process, whether we’re going to get a voter registration card or be able to use part of the identification for it,” said student Kai King.
Because of this, many students vote with provisional ballots. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the state offers provisional ballots if there are questions about:
- Qualification of Voter to Vote.
- The voter’s right to vote at a given election, or
- A voter’s right to vote for a particular voting status.
According to North Carolina Central University professor Irving Joyner, these bulletins come at a cost.
“There is a high rejection rate on all provisional ballots, no matter where they are in the state,” he said.
Most students don’t find out about provisional reports until it’s too late. However, Bull City Votes, a nonpartisan voting rights group, is trying to overcome these barriers.
The group was sent around Durham and university campuses offering rides to the polls and student ID offices.
“When you make it easier to vote, we find that a lot more students vote because you remove those barriers,” Bull City Votes volunteer Thomas Johnson.
The group also encourages students to vote early, which will give them time to resolve voter status issues beforehand.
Over the days, WRAL News has received several questions about how someone can verify and make sure their vote counts.
Depending on how you chose to vote, there are different ways to determine if your vote has been received and counted by your county board of elections.
For early voting
- Open your record on the State Board of Elections Voter Finder on their website.
- Scroll down to the “Your Ballot: Mail or Early Voting” section.
- If you voted during the early voting period, your Voting Method will be EARLY VOTING, your Ballot Status will show Valid Results, and your Voting Status will say ACCEPTED. This is updated the day after you vote at an early voting location.
To vote on election day
- Use the voter search tool on the BOE website.
- Your voting status will appear in the “Your Voter History” section as soon as your county has completed the post-election voter history assignment process.
- The “Voting Method” will be “PERSONAL CHOICE DAY”. It may take several weeks or more after the election.
If you vote absentee by mail
- This includes military personnel, US residents abroad, and visually impaired voters who cast their ballots electronically.
- Open your record on the State Board of Elections Voter Finder on their website.
- If you voted during the early voting period, your “Voting Method” will be “EARLY VOTING”, your “Ballot Status” will show “Valid Results” and your “Voting Status” will read “ACCEPTED” or ” ACCEPTED – CURED’. is updated the day after you have voted at an early voting location.
For people who vote provisionally
- You can check the status of your ballot 10 days after the election via
- You must fill in all four fields of the form, including the PIN code you received at the polling place where you voted provisionally.
If you have questions about voting in the 2024 election, you can read WRAL’s Frequently Asked Questions guide to voting.