An Associated Press analysis found that 50 to 75 percent of the vote is expected be cast early in the presidential battleground states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina. Some counties, Orange included, already had an early voting plan in place for a 10-day early voting period but were sent back to the drawing board when the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the state’s Voter ID law and restored the early voting period to 17 days.
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A three-judge panel said the law, which imposed a photo ID requirement and curbed early-voting hours, had targeted mostly Democratic black voters “with nearly surgical precision”. The court noted that even the state attorneys defending the law acknowledged that counties with Sunday voting in 2014’s midterm elections were mostly black and Democratic.
Nationwide, about 45.6 million people or roughly 35 percent of the electorate attracted by its convenience voted prior to Election Day in 2012, and that number is expected to increase in 2016.
The Orange County Board of Elections sent all four options to the state board on August 25.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners had asked the local board to expand hours as much as possible, promising to fund the additional cost.
The board’s decisions could influence the course of voting in a state where races for governor and US senator are close, and where the two major presidential candidates are said to be dead even.
By a 3-2 vote, the state board instead Thursday agreed to a local Democratic plan opening up eight additional sites and providing a second Sunday of voting.
Most local boards were divided over the number of early voting hours or whether or not they would allow Sunday voting. Black voters disproportionally use early voting.
In his email, Woodhouse said Republicans are “opposed to Sunday voting for a host of reasons including respect for voter’s religious preferences, protection of our families and allowing the fine election staff a day off”. Republican board member Bob Randall, who rejected the compromise, submitted his own plan for 530 hours of early voting.
The concern is that the majority of these states have a predominantly black community – Bertie County is 62% black, and that county had its early voting hours cut by 117 this year. Adjustments could affect turnout.
State Board Chairman Grant Whitney, a Republican, declined to speak with reporters Thursday night after the meeting.
Malcolm, a Democrat, said the 10-site plan the state board approved will still lead to problems in Mecklenburg.
Iowa will accept early ballots starting September 29, three days after the first presidential debate.
Democratic board member Jamie Cox said that he was willing to accept closing early on Halloween in order for the sites to open one hour earlier on the final Saturday.
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GOP leaders have countered that it’s fair for Republicans to use rules to their advantage, and that Democrats need to stop whining and play the game.
