RALEIGH — The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed a federal appeals court order that would have enjoined parts of North Carolina’s new voting law regarding same-day registration and out-of-precinct voting. The vote was 7-2, with Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissenting.
The hard deadline to register is Friday. Election Day voters must cast ballots at their assigned polling location.
Attorneys for the state requested a stay on Friday after a split-panel in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered changes to election procedures just weeks before the beginning of early voting.
“Please encourage those in your community to register by Friday and to vote in the proper precinct on Election Day,” said Executive Director Kim Westbrook Strach of the State Board of Elections. “We hope voters will make use of the record-setting number of early voting sites, beginning October 23.”
Voter registration forms are available online. Voters who have move to a new county must submit a new registration. Those who are uncertain of their registration status may view their voter profileonline.
The State Board of Elections mailed more than 4 million voter guides to residences across the state before last week’s ruling. Voters may now rely on legal summaries appearing on page 3 of the voter guide.
A copy of the Supreme Court’s decision is available online.
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