A half hour before a voter-registration bill came up for a vote, Auditor Les Merritt e-mailed Senate leaders asking them to pull the bill.
According to the Charlotte Observer, Merritt e-mailed Sens. Dan Clodfelter and Tony Rand at 2:34 p.m. on June 5, asking them to hold off on a bill that would allow North Carolinians to register to vote the weekend before an election.
In the e-mail, he said he had "sensitive information" from an ongoing audit of voter rolls.
Rand and Clodfelter agreed to sideline the bill shortly before the 3 p.m. session began, but they have questions for Merritt:
"We are sure you appreciate how unusual it is for us to receive a specific request that we not take action on a pending bill," they wrote, "and we therefore trust that you have substantial, credible, and specific evidence to back up the general inferences in your letter."
Currently, state voters must register 25 days before an election. Supporters of the bill say that is one reason why the state has low turnout.
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Re: Voting delays
According to the Senate Schedule, Merritt and Gary Bartlett from the SBOE is going before the Senate Select Committee on Government and Election Reform tomorrow at 1pm on this.
I'm curious as to what they'll say that's so "Earth-shattering" as to call a halt on this bill.
The legislation is important to maximizing voter-turnout during elections and ensuring that all North Carolinians are capable of exercising the most important of American rights: Voting for elected representation.
The bill provides appropriate safe-guards to prevent voter fraud. Appropriate proof of eligibility is required along with a signed attestation of eligibility. The required proof of residence and eligibility is similar to the documentation that must be provided during standard registration. Providing false testimony for the purpose of casting an ineligible ballot is a Class I felony.
Further, there is a two-business day period in which the voter's eligibility would be validated. Should the ballot be ineligible, it would be retrieved and discarded.
Mr. Merritt and the NC Senate needs to stop wasting time and pass this bill.