Raleigh, N.C. – The state House of Representatives voted Wednesday to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of legislation expanding the days, times, and locations counties can offer early voting in North Carolina.
Senate Bill 325 The Uniform & Expanded Early Voting Act would place early voting locations on a uniform schedule statewide of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, offering increased and consistent early voting hours during the week so North Carolinians have more opportunities to cast a ballot.
The legislation requires all voting sites in a county be open uniformly during that county’s early voting hours to reduce confusion for voters about times and locations of early voting opportunities.
It also adds an additional early voting day to provide 17 full days of early voting in North Carolina.
For the 2018 general election, voters could cast early ballots between October 17 and November 2. On weekends, county board of elections can set hours for early voting locations provided they are open for the same hours uniformly throughout the county on Saturdays or Sundays.
The legislation also requires county boards of elections to submit annual reports on voter list maintenance efforts.