WS Chronicle

By Howard Pearre

A “force multiplier” is a factor that can result in the accomplishment of greater feats than may be possible without that factor. Since you already are a dedicated voter – you must be if you are reading this article – you can turn yourself into a “voting force multiplier” by helping register other voters.

But even though you are willing and dedicated, you may hesitate. Voting is one thing. Taking responsibility for helping others register is another.

Here’s an important piece of advice. Relax.

While participating in a voter registration drive is serious business – that’s what it’s called whether you are working with an organized group at the fair or by yourself at a card table in front of a grocery store – it’s not hard as long as you pay attention to some basic points.

By N.C. law, anyone can participate in a voter registration drive as part of a group or as an individual. No special training or certification is required. Many people, however, find that a voter registration workshop through a nonpartisan organization such as YouCanVote or the League of Women Voters or through a political party can help them learn the ropes. 

Your role is to be a helper. You should be prepared to advise about the qualifications to vote, but you are not responsible for checking documentation from the individual. The prospective voter is responsible for completing the Voter Registration Application form truthfully and accurately and attesting to this with his or her signature.

Basic Qualifications

*To register, a person must be a U.S. citizen, must be at least 18 years old at the time of the election, will have resided in the county where they plan to vote at least 30 days prior to the election, and not be under any type of supervision for a felony conviction. (If a person convicted of a felony must only have to complete or  pay fees or restoration, he or she is eligible to register and vote.) Misdemeanor convictions have no bearing on a person’s right to vote.

*A prospective voter who is 16 or 17 years old is eligible to pre-register using the same form. The board of elections will automatically determine him or her to be an active voter on their 18th birthday and send them a registration card with their voting information. Also, if the person will be 18 by the time of the general election, they can vote in a primary even though they are still 17.  

*College students can use either their home addresses or their college address as an official residence.

*Become familiar with the official Voter Registration Application form that is available from the county board of elections office. Another source is the fillable form on the  Forsyth or N.C. Board of Elections website. The back of the form includes directions for each box. Assure that the person completes the registration form legibly in black ink. 

*Items on the registration form printed in RED are mandatory: the check boxes for the person’s citizenship status and age, the blanks for the person’s full name, date of birth, driver’s license or last four digits of their SSN, residential address (and mailing address if different), and signature after the statements at the bottom of the form. 

*Some items should always be completed even though they are not in red. These include the person’s old address if they are using the form to report a change of address, and the person’s phone number and email address to enable the board of elections to contact them in case anything needs to be clarified.  

*Other items, including party affiliation, are optional. However, if the person does not indicate a party affiliation, they will be designated as “unaffiliated.”

No-Nos

You are prohibited from doing some things:

*You may not coerce a person to select a party affiliation other than what the voter desires.

*You may not keep personal information about the voter.

*You may not complete or change any section of the form after the voter has left your presence. If the form is incomplete in any way after the voter has left, you must turn it in “as is” to the board of elections.

*You are allowed to assist completing the form if the person requests this.

After completing a registration form, the voter may take or mail the form to the county board of elections office, or may agree for you to take it to the board of elections. If you take responsibility for delivering it, you should deliver it in person within five business days, but absolutely no later than the 25th day before an election.

If you are serious about becoming a voting force multiplier, go to the N.C. Board of Elections website NCSBE.GOV and enter REGISTRATION DRIVES in the search box for more information, including an essential list of “dos and don’ts.” 

Howard Pearre retired after a career as a counselor and manager with N.C. Vocational Rehabilitation and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. He has led training workshops on voter registration and is a member of  Winston-Salem Writers.