Judge Denies Early Voting Sites at North Carolina Universities

A federal judge on Sunday denied requests to open early voting sites at three public North Carolina universities, upholding decisions made by Republican-controlled election boards ahead of the state's upcoming primary election. U.S. District Judge William Osteen ruled against arguments from the College Democrats of North Carolina and several students. The plaintiffs had asserted that decisions by Republican board members unlawfully restricted voting rights.

The Ruling and Impending Primary

Judge Osteen's denial of a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order is subject to appeal. Early in-person voting for the March 3 primary is scheduled to begin this Thursday, encompassing nomination races for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state legislature, and local offices.

Judge Osteen also indicated that supporting the opening of new sites so close to the election date could introduce confusion.

Political Context and Legal Challenge

This ruling is significant as it pertains to policy decisions by the State Board of Elections and county election boards. These boards recently shifted from Democratic to Republican majorities following a state law change. The College Democrats of North Carolina, along with four voters, filed a lawsuit in late January. They alleged that the state board and election boards in Jackson and Guilford counties violated the U.S. Constitution.

Challenged University Sites and History

The lawsuit specifically challenged decisions by the state and two county boards to not establish early voting sites at Western Carolina University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. North Carolina A&T is noted as the nation's largest historically Black university.

Western Carolina University has hosted an early voting site consistently since 2016. The Greensboro campuses have had early voting sites in recent presidential election years but not during midterm elections. Other college campuses in North Carolina do offer voting sites. Early voting sites also provide same-day voter registration.

Competing Arguments

The lawsuit contended that without these on-campus sites, students would incur additional time and financial burdens to vote off-campus, particularly affecting those less experienced with the voting process.

Attorneys representing the election boards argued in legal briefs that there is no mandate for boards to maintain voting sites from previous election cycles. They stated that site decisions were based on factors such as parking availability and historical voter turnout.