[State Board of Elections] Bulk Voter Registration Mailings Cause Voter Confusion, Additional Work for Counties

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[State Board of Elections] Bulk Voter Registration Mailings Cause Voter Confusion, Additional Work for Counties

Published: Thursday, July 2nd, 2026 @ 6:48 pm
By: ENC NOW ( More Entries )

Press Release:

    Raleigh, N.C.     The State Board of Elections has received complaints from county boards of elections and citizens about a recent mailing from a group attempting to register voters in North Carolina.

    The group, Ready to Register Inc., sent mailings to an unknown number of citizens with an outdated voter registration application which includes four political parties that are no longer recognized in North Carolina. In 2026, North Carolina's recognized political parties are the Democratic, Green, Libertarian, and Republican parties. Voters can also register as unaffiliated. Voters who register with a party that is no longer recognized will be registered as unaffiliated.

    The State Board has also received reports that mailings are being sent to deceased individuals and that the group may be using outdated voter data.

    Additionally, Ready to Register provided an incorrect county board of elections return mailing address on letters sent to New Hanover County voters. This could lead to completed registrations not being successfully delivered. The correct mailing address for the New Hanover County Board of Elections is 226 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403.

    Finally, the State Board has received several reports that QR codes on the mailings may cause information from other people to pre-populate on a form, which has raised privacy concerns among voters.

    "Bulk voter registration mailings, when done carelessly, can do more harm than good," said Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board of Elections. "They can confuse voters and greatly increase the workload of county boards of elections. State Board staff are available to advise anyone who wishes to send voter registration mailings so that we can minimize potential issues."

    The State Board has contacted Ready to Register with the hope of reducing voter confusion and the impact on county boards with any future mailings.

    Election officials also wish to remind voters of the following:

If you have questions or concerns about a mailing, please contact the organization responsible for it. According to its website, you can reach Ready to Register at info@readytoregister.org.
If a mailing encourages you to register to vote and you are already registered at your current address, you do not have to do anything and can simply discard the mailing.
The State Board encourages all voters to routinely check their registration status and details using the State Board's online Voter Search tool. If you have questions about your voter registration, you may contact your county board of elections.
For information about registering to vote in North Carolina, go to the Registering section at ncsbe.gov.
The regular voter registration deadline is October 9, 2026, for the November 3, 2026, general election. If you miss this deadline, you may register and vote at the same time at any early voting site in your county during the early voting period.