NC State early voting site relocation draws pushback; Wake to increase number of early voting sites
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A change to an early voting location at NC State University is drawing pushback just four months before the midterm elections.
"The loss of Talley Student Union as an early voting site on NC State's campus is a devastating and demoralizing blow for us as a student community," said Marshall Elstad, treasurer of NC State Democrats, during remarks to the Wake County Board of Commissioners on Monday.
Last month, the Wake County Board of Elections voted for a record-high 18 early voting sites.
"We had 15 sites (in 2022, and) going to 18 sites, which would also be a 20% increase. We're really fortunate that our Board (of Elections) went with a higher number of sites being offered, and then our County Commissioners approving the budget to support those sites," said Olivia McCall, Director of the Wake County Board of Elections.
In doing so, they replaced Talley Student Union with NC State Business Services Center, about a mile away, though still on university property.
"This only one-mile walk, there is not your average mile, with a surprisingly steep hill encompassing the first half of the journey if you've ever walked it, along with a busy four-lane highway where waiting at the crossing light can add another five-minute obstacle," said Elstad.
Data from the Wake County Board of Elections shows Talley Student Union had the second-lowest turnout among the county's 12 early voting sites during the most recent primary election. However, during the 2024 general election, the site ranked in the top half of Wake County's 22 early voting locations.
The change has prompted objections from Wake County Democratic Party leaders.
"What we're asking for today is for contingent funding to either restore that voting site if the Board of Elections would vote to amend its plan, or, if they refuse, to be used instead to mitigate these voter suppression efforts," said Wesley Knott, Chair of the Wake County Democratic Party, who addressed the Board of Commissioners.
An online petition, sponsored by the Wake County Democratic Party, has garnered more than 2,000 signatures, requesting $200,000 in contingent funding.
"I recognize the privilege I have in being able to request assistance in this way and get any consideration at all. I know residents are facing real challenges, and I know there are lots of competing priorities across the county that you're working hard to mitigate," said Knott.
Tyler Daye, a program manager with Common Cause North Carolina, expressed the importance of students having easy access to a location.
"NC State is quite large. When you combine the student population and the faculty and staff population, you're talking about (roughly) 50,000 people just there on campus," said Daye.
According to the State Board of Elections, 74% of ballots cast in the 2024 general election were done during early voting; in 2012, that figure was 56%.
Though the percentage is typically not as high during midterms (53% voted early in 2022), it still encompasses the majority of turnout.
"It's important that we do all that we can to educate and make sure that people know where the sites are able to get there to vote," Daye said.
Election officials, however, emphasized that the county is expanding voting access overall.
The Wake County Board of Elections is comprised of three Republicans and two Democrats; the vote to adopt the 18 voting sites was unanimous.
"It has been submitted as a unanimous plan," said Wake County Board of Elections Director Olivia McCall. "And as of this time, there's nothing has been communicated that we would be changing anything."
McCall noted that the Business Services Center is not a new voting location and has previously served as an early voting site.
"We start with giving our board all the information about each facility," McCall said. "We had over 40 available facilities in Wake County that the board could consider."
July 24 is the final date that early voting location plans must be submitted to the state.
In a statement, a spokesperson for State Auditor Dave Boliek wrote:
The State Auditor supports common-sense, efficiency-driven election decisions that give voters equal access.
The Wake BOE plan was unanimously adopted and kept an early voting site on campus.
Further, if you look at the most recent comparable election data, there were more on-campus early voting sites for this year's primary compared to the May 2022 primary.
