Column: Voter Registration Roulette
By Antionette Kerr
I’ve discovered something unsettling: democracy, representative republic, experiment we call America is still fragile—even in how your middle name gets recorded.
The first time I found myself on a challenged voters list was during the Jeff Griffin–Allison Riggs lawsuit, while researching for a story—not looking for my own voter history. Yet there I was, flagged as “suspect.” The culprit? Nothing shady—just a record with my middle initial and another listing both my middle names. Bureaucratic mismatches, not ballot fraud.
And then, today—I saw it again. I was labeled Removed. This purge is part of North Carolina’s latest effort: removing nearly 747,000 voters from the rolls over 20 months. This include more than 1200 (Now down to around 1,000) in Davidson County. The official reason: inactivity or moving. But in my case? Neither applied.
Layered on top of that purge is the new Registration Repair Project: a push by the State Board to collect missing driver’s license numbers or the last four digits of Social Security numbers from 82,700 voters whose registration records were incomplete NCSBE+9AP News+9ABC11 Raleigh-Durham+9League of Women VotersThe North State Journal+12NCSBE+12WWAYTV3+12. Election officials are rolling out letters, offering three ways to fix things: via mail (postage paid), online (through the DMV website), or in person at your county elections office The North State Journal+3NCSBE+3NCSBE+3.
They say it’s “quick, easy, and free.” But for those of us who've already navigated name changes, middle‑name mix‑ups, and challenged registrations—it feels like one more bureaucratic hoop to jump through. Doesn’t it?
Here’s what we can do—and to tell your friends and family: don’t wait to find out the hard way.
Check Your Registration—and Fix It Now
Visit the Registration Repair Search Tool. Check if your name is on the list. It’s updated daily—so even if you’ve fixed it, this tool will reflect that soon. YouTube+7NCSBE+7NCSBE+7
Fix any missing information immediately.
Online: Use the DMV site—payments.ncdot.gov, click “Continue as Guest,” then “Update Your Voter Information.” No fee. The North State Journal+1ABC11 Raleigh-Durham+8NCSBE+8WCTI+8
By mail: Fill out and sign the form attached to the letter. Send it back using the postage-paid envelope included.
In person: Head to your county board of elections with your ID info—driver’s license or SSN last 4. No phone fixes allowed, so show up prepared. NCSBE+1League of Women Voters+6Orange County NC+6NCSBE+6
Don’t wait to vote—missing ID? You’ll cast a provisional ballot next time, and your vote may not count unless you provide that info during voting. NCSBEAP News
Do this today. Don’t assume your registration is solid. I only found my issues because I was looking—and even then, I was surprised.
I’ve now had this happen twice—from a high-profile lawsuit and now in the midst of a supposed “repair” effort. Both times, the glitch was only visible because I was paying attention. But most voters don’t have that luxury—and deserve better than to be blindsided by administrative errors or vague legal play.
Here’s my pitch: Check your status. Fix it. Don’t wait to
After all, democracy is only as good as your ability to still be on the list when it matters.
