US DOJ sues NC over inaccurate voter lists
We can’t count on our state political parties, elected state officials or judges to take care of stuff like this. 
So, Thank God for the diligence of Assistant US Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon (who, incidentally, grew up in Johnston County) and her team in the Civil Rights Division:
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Board of Elections for failure to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
The lawsuit alleges that the State of North Carolina, in violation of HAVA’s mandate and clear Congressional intent, used a State voter registration form that did not require a voter to provide identifying information such as a driver’s license or last four digits of a social security number. Voters were then added to the State’s voter registration roll without the required information, and many of these voters remain on the registration rolls without it. […]
Hmmmmm. THIS sounds a lot like what Jefferson Griffin was talking about. In fact, it sounds a lot like what a LOT of people have been raising cain about for years.
MORE:
[…] On March 25, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14248 entitled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” to ensure that elections are being held in compliance with federal laws that guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion. The election integrity issues raised in this action are a core component of the Federal election laws that Congress has statutorily charged the Attorney General of the United States, through the Civil Rights Division, to enforce.
“Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. […]
This has been a longtime problem in North Carolina. Michael Whatley and Jason Simmons have been asleep at the switch on it. Now it has cost us a state Supreme Court seat. We need NCGOP leadership that will step up to the plate on election integrity, something we have not had lately.
I doubt we can expect much from the NCGOP on election integrity. Their own record with electronic voting in party elections kinda ruins their credibility on the subject.
We can have it… IF delegates will VOTE for Brooke McGowan for NCGOP CHAIR.
Here is what she will do beginning on day one:
1. Secure Our Elections
We’ll initiate a full sweep of election machines—per NC statute—and partner with NCEIT, NC Audit Force, NC Voter Integrity Project, and the SBOE to clean the voter rolls and bring transparency back to our process.
2. Clean House in the Party?
No more hidden budgets, shady silos, or dodged questions. We’ll bring transparency, accountability, and integrity back to NCGOP finances—and win back donor trust.
3. Train Candidates from the Ground Up?We’ll equip local volunteers to vet candidates before the primaries. The people—not consultants or party bosses—will choose who represents us.
4. Build Our Voice in the Media?
We’ll launch NCGOPtv to reach new audiences and use press, podcasting, and digital platforms to boldly defend our values. No more silence. We go on offense.
5. Give Veterans a Seat at the Table?
We’ll create a Veterans Caucus to represent the 650,000+ veterans and active-duty military in our state—one of the most aligned, yet underrepresented groups in our party. This important voting bloc deserves their voice to be heard.
This is just the beginning. The plan is in place. But reform only happens if we show up.
Carol Snow is completely vindicated through this action. In late 2023, she filed a HAVA complaint that required a public hearing on the matter of SBE lying on their voter registration form, telling applicants that the NCDL# and or SSN-4 were “optional.” In fact, federal and state law REQUIRE the DL# and only provide the SSN-4 if the applicant lacks a DL. It also provided a loophole for people who really and truly have neither of those documents. Since 2013–after McCrory’s appointee took over the SBE–the SBE has promulgated the lying form. Snow called them out and Karen Brinson Bell’s chief Counsel practice bad law and convinced the Board (by a 5-0 vote) that Snow was wrong. Para 15 of the DOJ’s complaint says, otherwise: “In violation of HAVA’s mandate and clear Congressional intent, the State of North Carolina used a state voter registration form that did not explicitly require a voter to provide a driver’s license or the last four digits of a social security number.”
Winner winner, chicken dinner!
Link to the DOJ’s complaint: https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1401636/dl?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
In 2008, during my tenure on a county board of elections, SSN#’s and DL”s were actually verified by links to DMV and SS files thru the state. One particular voter registered and voted at one stop the same day. Several days later the office was sent an email that the DL# that was given on the registration form was that of a woman, not a Latino man as presented.
What was the board told to do? We were told to send him a letter to his registered address that he gave.
What did he do? He came in and registered and voted using another DL# and nothing else was heard.
BTW, I don’t know what the elections board protocol is now, but because the ballots were numbered the ballot box was opened and the “illegal” ballot was removed. The ballot box was opened with members of both parties present.