The Orange County Democratic Party of North Carolina
We work to elect leaders who will provide: an economy that works for all, quality public education, reproductive rights for all, affordable health care for all, the right to vote in fair elections, civil rights of all, and strong communities across our wonderful state where everyone has access to clean air and water.
NC State Board of Elections Approves Plan to Collect Incomplete Registration Information from Certain Voters
On Tuesday June 24, The State Board of Elections unanimously approved a “Plan to Collect Incomplete Registration Information from Certain Voters.” The goal of the plan is to collect missing identification numbers for voters lacking them on the NC State Elections Board voter rolls. The Board stated the plan will bring the state into compliance with the April 4, 2025 N.C. Court of Appeals order, and resolve outstanding lawsuits, including the DOJ lawsuit filed on May 24, regarding these registrations.
The NC State Board of Elections outlined the three-part plan in a release issued on June 25. The Board will seek to obtain driver’s license numbers (DL#) or the last four digits of Social Security numbers (SSN4) for 195,000 registered North Carolina voters who lack either number in their voter records.
3-Part Plan
Part 1: Mailings from NCSBE to Affected Voters
- In July, a mailing will be sent to approximately 98,000 registered voters who registered after Help America Vote Act (HAVA) became effective in 2004 and whose records lack a DL# or SSN4 and who have not otherwise complied with HAVA. These voters will vote provisionally until they provide the information.
- A second mailing will be sent this summer to approximately 97,000 voters who have complied with HAVA but for whom election officials do not have a DL# or SSN4 on the voter’s current registration record. This list includes voters who initially provided a DL# or SSN4 that did not validate, but subsequently complied with the law by providing an alternative form of ID (called “HAVA ID”) when voting. These voters will continue to vote using regular ballots.
- A third mailing will go out to voters who haven’t responded to previous notices.
Part 2: Data Review/Correction by County Boards of Elections
- From June through August, the 100 county boards of elections will review records in the voter registration database for “active” voters identified as potentially missing required identification numbers and correct records where the information was provided by the voter but not entered by the county board.
- County boards also will correct records where the voter registered prior to HAVA taking effect in 2004, but the database shows the wrong registration date.
Part 3: Provisional Voting for Voters Missing DL#/SSN4
- In future elections, in-person voters who lack required information in the voter registration database must vote provisional ballots which will count, as long as the voter provides the required information.
DOJ Sues NC Board of Elections Over Voter Registration Records
On May 27, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the North Carolina Board of Elections (NCSBE) for failure to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the 2002 Help America Vote Act.
The DOJ alleges the voter registration form, which was used prior to January 2024, wasn’t clear that applicants were required to provide either their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
The DOJ suit wants the NCSBE to develop a plan within 30 days to remedy the violations. The plan must provide a process for contacting voters with incomplete records and obtaining the necessary identification numbers.
Motions to Intervene as defendants in the DOJ lawsuit against the NC State Board of Elections were filed on June 2, 2024 by the N.C. Alliance of Retired Americans and on June 17 by the Democratic National Committee, the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, and the League of Women Voters of North Carolina.
The DOJ filed an opposition to the Motion filed by the N.C. Alliance of Retired Americans on June 23 and to the Motion filed by the DNC, N.C. NAACP and the N.C. League of Women Voters on June 24.
The Alliance of Retired Americans filed a Notice with the District Court on June 24 regarding a potential agreement reached between the N. C. State Board of Elections and the DOJ that was referenced by the Executive Director of the N.C. State Board of Elections in his announcement of the NCSBE’s “Plan to Collect Incomplete Registration Information from Certain Voters.”
Read more from Democracy Docket.
NC Racial Gerrymandering Trial Begins
A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court convened June 16 in Winston-Salem for a trial over claims that the N.C. Republican legislators violated federal law and the U.S. Constitution when they enacted new electoral maps in October 2023. The lawsuit, Williams v. Hall, contends the 2023 electoral maps were drawn to decrease minority voting power and increase Republican power.
If the panel rules in favor of the plaintiffs, the electoral maps would be redrawn for the 2026 elections making it harder for the N.C. GOP to retain its advantage.
State Auditor Appoints Republican Chairs to Lead County Boards of Elections
On Tuesday June 24, State Auditor Dave Boliek appointed Republican chairs to lead the County Boards of Elections for all of North Carolina’s 100 counties. These appointments expand GOP control of elections in North Carolina to the local level.
The newly appointed Chair of the Orange County Board of Elections is Dr. Clare Brennan.
Also on June 24, the remaining four members of each county boards of elections were appointed by the State Board Elections. The members of the Orange County Board of Elections will be Jamie Cox (D), who had previously served as Chair of the Board, Elvira Mebane (D) and David Kolbinsky (R) who are currently Board members and John Sims (R) who will replace Jason Roberts (D).
The Board will be sworn in on July 22 for a two-year term.
2025 Municipal and School Board Elections
Municipal and School Board Elections will be held in Orange County for the following offices:
Town of Carrboro
• Mayor
• Town Council: 3 seats
Town of Chapel Hill
• Mayor
• Town Council: 4 seats
Chapel Hill/Carrboro
Board of Education
• 3 seats
Town of Hillsborough
• Mayor
• Board of Commisioners: 2 seats
Qualifications to File for Office:
• You must be a registered voter in this county
• You must live within the district for which you are filing as a candidate
• You must be at least 21 years old on Election Day, November 4, 2025
Filing Period
The candidate filing period is Monday July 7 at 8am through noon on Wednesday July 18.
Fiing Fees
View the list of candidate filing fees.
Candidate Guide
View the N.C. State Board of Elections Candidate’s Guide to 2025 Municipal Elections.
Training for Future Candidates
The North Carolina Democratic Party is presenting free virtual training for future candidates on July 9, 2025. Register here.
On The Issues
Now what?
“What should any of us do then?” my editor asked. “Curl up in the corner? Take to the streets? It can’t be that hopeless, can it?”
Made for Media: Moments of Ritual Humiliation
Trump has revealed himself in two terms to possess a shocking lack of empathy (except for fellow insurrectionists and Apartheid apologists) and an extraordinary willingness to humiliate others, and his second in command seems to have learned from his tutor.
Food Insecurity in North Carolina On the Rise
Republicans may claim to be rooting out waste and fraud in federal government spending, but their elimination of vital food assistance programs cuts right to the bone.
