'Same-day' voting bill OK'd

Measure that aids late registrants passes in both chambers and awaits Easley move

RALEIGH -- Some North Carolinians would be able to register to vote and cast their ballots on the same day, under a bill the legislature approved Wednesday.

Voters who cast ballots at "one-stop" sites during early voting periods before elections would be allowed to register the same day. Currently, state law requires voters to turn in registration forms by 25 days before the election.

The House passed the measure with a 69-47 vote, and the Senate approved it 34-15. The vote was largely along party lines in both chambers.

Opponents said the law would make fraudulent voting easier. Supporters said the measure would increase turnout by registering people at the height of their interest in voting. They say same-day registration is more secure than mail-in because the voter is registering in person.

Rep. Deborah Ross, a Raleigh Democrat, noted that North Carolina ranks low in voter participation, while states that allow registration closer to Election Day have better voter turnout.

"This bill is about democracy," she said. "It's about giving people the opportunity to have their voice heard in government."

Rep. Alice Underhill, a New Bern Democrat, said it would give people who move to the state close to Election Day the chance to vote.

House Republicans said that the bill would increase the cost of elections and make it easier for people to vote in districts they don't live in.

Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam, the House minority leader from Apex, said the measure will help wealthy candidates because they will be able to register people, pay for "robo" calls to "excite them on an issue at the last minute, and spend a lot of money to get newly identified people to the polls."

Rep. Cary Allred, an Alamance Republican, said he feared voters would fall under the influence of a charismatic leader, a Rev. Jim Jones-type or a fraternity president, be led to the polls and told whom to vote for.

Gov. Mike Easley must sign the bill and the U.S. Justice Department must approve it before it can be put into effect. Depending on Justice Department approval, voters may be able to register and vote the same day during municipal elections this fall.