North Carolina’s early voting locations on college campuses are found to disproportionately favor Democrats, potentially violating state statute, according to recent research. The nonpartisan think tank Verity Vote analyzed data on North Carolina’s early voting sites, campus voter registration, and early ballots cast, revealing a lack of compliance with a statutory requirement for neutrality in these venues.
It is well-known that college students tend to lean towards one political party, with polling data showing a significant Democratic advantage among young voters. This trend extends to college faculty and staff as well, with a majority supporting one party over the other. However, North Carolina law prohibits the use of early voting sites that give an advantage to any party or candidate, yet several counties across the state are not adhering to this requirement.
With a majority of North Carolinians opting to vote early instead of on Election Day, the selection of early voting locations can impact election outcomes significantly. By examining voter registration data, it is clear that there is a need for neutral locations to ensure fairness in the voting process.
When early voting sites are located on college campuses, it can create barriers for non-campus populations due to limited parking and complex navigation. Additionally, the results of the 2020 presidential election highlight a significant advantage for the Democratic candidate at campus early-voting locations. This imbalance raises concerns about the fairness and neutrality of the election process.
Despite the roughly equal partisan makeup of North Carolina voters overall, early voting locations on college campuses are showing a clear advantage for Democrats. This advantage is not in line with the state’s requirement for neutrality in polling places, underscoring the need for election administrators to uphold their duty to ensure fairness.
The research discussed in this article was conducted by Verity Vote, a nonpartisan think tank dedicated to promoting good government through research and analysis of election systems. Heather Honey, the executive director of the Election Research Institute and co-founder of Verity Vote, led the research efforts.
