NC elections director responds to DOJ lawsuit over voter list inaccuracies

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — The executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections says the state is reviewing a federal lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and is committed to compliance with federal law concerning voter registration requirements.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Executive Director Sam Hayes said, “We are still reviewing the complaint, but the failure to collect the information required by HAVA has been well documented. Rest assured that I am committed to bringing North Carolina into compliance with federal law.”

Hayes noted that the voter registration form cited in the lawsuit was updated in January 2024 and is available online. He added that both the State Board and county boards of elections will work diligently to ensure all voters are properly registered and that necessary personal information is collected in accordance with both state and federal law.

The DOJ announced Tuesday that it had filed a lawsuit against the State of North Carolina and the State Board of Elections, alleging violations of HAVA. The suit claims that for years, North Carolina used a voter registration form that failed to require applicants to provide identifying information such as a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.

As a result, the Justice Department said, voters were added to the registration rolls without the necessary information, and many remain on the rolls today without it — a situation they say violates federal election law.