Guarantee early voting access

Summary#

House Bill 1240, “Constitutional Amendment/Early Voting,” would put a proposed amendment to the North Carolina Constitution before voters. If voters approve it, the amendment would guarantee early in-person voting for primary and general elections held in even-numbered years; its stated goal is to guarantee voters that opportunity.

  • County boards of elections would have to provide at least 14 days of early voting and choose sites, staffing and hours.
  • On weekdays, all sites would have to operate on a uniform schedule, generally from at least 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. A county board could set a 6 p.m. closing time if it determines voter demand allows it.
  • If a county offers Sunday early voting, all sites open that Sunday would have to use the same hours. All sites would have to open on the last Saturday before election day, from at least 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • County boards would have to increase early-voting staffing, hours, number of sites and locations to match voter needs during the designated days.
  • At any early-voting site, a person qualified to register to vote would have to be allowed to register and vote on the same day.
  • If the bill becomes law, voters would decide the amendment at the November 3, 2026, statewide election. It would take effect upon certification if a majority of votes on the question favor it. The bill is introduced and is not law.

What it means for you#

  • Voters: If the amendment passes, you would have a constitutional right to vote in person before election day in primary and general elections held in even-numbered years. You could register and vote at an early-voting site on the same day if you are qualified to register.
  • County boards of elections: They would have to provide the required days and hours, choose and staff sites, and increase capacity to match voter needs. The bill does not set a method for measuring those needs.
  • General Assembly and taxpayers: The General Assembly may appropriate money for county boards to administer early voting, but the bill does not require a particular appropriation.
  • Other elections: The amendment’s early-voting guarantee applies to primary and general elections held in even-numbered years; it does not state the same guarantee for elections held in odd-numbered years.

Money#

The bill gives no cost estimate; No publicly available information.

  • The General Assembly may appropriate funds for county boards, but no amount is required or specified.
  • County boards would have to provide staffing and voting sites, but the materials do not estimate those costs.
  • The bill creates no tax, fee or fine.

What is unclear#

  • The materials do not provide the current election-law rules needed to verify how the proposal would change existing early-voting arrangements.
  • The bill does not define “voter demand” or explain how a county board must decide whether demand allows a 6 p.m. weekday closing.
  • It does not say how boards should assess voter needs or what “match the needs of voters” requires in practice.
  • It does not set rules for choosing locations, handling disputes, or overseeing county boards’ decisions.

Case for#

  • The bill appears intended to make early voting a constitutional guarantee rather than leave it only to ordinary law or local decisions.
  • A guaranteed minimum period and minimum hours could give voters a more predictable opportunity to vote before election day.
  • Allowing same-day registration and voting at early-voting sites could give qualified people who are not yet registered a way to register and cast a ballot in one visit.
  • Requiring counties to adjust staffing and sites to voter needs could help them respond to local demand.

Case against#

  • The bill requires counties to provide and expand early-voting capacity but does not specify how the costs would be met; the General Assembly may, but does not have to, appropriate funds.
  • Key requirements, including how to measure voter needs and when demand permits a 6 p.m. closing, are not defined.
  • The amendment would put detailed scheduling and service requirements in the Constitution, while leaving important implementation decisions to county boards.
  • The text provides no process for resolving disagreements about whether a county’s hours, sites or staffing meet the requirements.