Full email sent by Dallas Woodhouse

Over the last several days, your NCGOP team has been contacted by many registered Republicans who expressed concern over their impression that our fair and honest election process is being undermined by the Fourth Circuit’s NC Voter ID ruling. During  the next couple of weeks, many of your County Boards of Elections will be meeting to consider revised plans for 2016 Early Voting.  The team at the NCGOP encourage you to show your board members support during this time. You can show your support by attending your County Board of Elections meetings. 

There will be those who try to further distort the process against your Republican Candidates. You should also call your republican election board members and remind them that as partisan republican appointees they have duty to consider republican points of view and that we support them as they ensure our elections are secure.  

In the Fourth Circuit's ruling on the NC Voter ID law, the November 8th Presidential Election will be conducted on the statutes that were in place for the 2012 election.  This includes no requirement of showing your photo ID to vote, changes in one-stop early voting, same day registration, out of precinct voting and other important items. 

The majority of Republican County Elections Board Members were not members of a County Board of Elections during the 2012 election.  In fact, a large number of directors have not conducted an election under these laws. 

This opinion returns the one-stop early voting to 17 days (an increase of seven days). To comply counties only need to offer early voting at one single early voting site, the county board office for 17 days. Many counties have found a large rush if voters in the first and last few days on early voting.  Keeping every site open for 17 days may be wasteful and unnecessary. According to the State Board of Elections, every county must open 1 early voting site at the county board of elections office for 17 days during regular office hours. There is no requirement to be open on the weekends except for the last Saturday (until noon).  

If counties do not re-submit an early voting plan, the county will default to the one required site and no more. The state board lists this as one option for county boards. 

Early voting sites do not have to be open the same days and hours as any other site. A particular site could be opened for 17 days or 1 day.  

We have heard a number of issues raised by voters:

The return of "same day" registration and voting.

We register voters ahead of time for a reason, so the state/county can verify eligibility. We believe same day registration is ripe with voter fraud, or the opportunity to commit it.  Same Day registration is only available during early voting. We are under no obligation to offer more opportunities for voter fraud.  Same day registration does require the same type of identification required to register at other times, but no photo ID is required and no immediate proof of residency.  

Many of our folks are angry and 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, rather than forcing them to work days on end without time off. Six days of voting in one week is enough. Period.
No group of people are entitled to their own early voting site, including college students, who already have more voting options than most other citizens.

Board members are receiving a lot of mail and feedback from left leaning groups. Please do your best to support them as they make the tough decisions and encourage others in your county party to do the same. 

We know you will have a lot of questions regarding the changes; we are committed to helping you answer these questions.

We sincerely thank you for your efforts. We look forward to Victory in November up and down the ballot!

Best,
Dallas Woodhouse