Bill Would Reduce Early Voting from 17 to 10 Days in North Carolina

A new bill seeks to reduce the early voting period in North Carolina elections to 10 days. 

Senate Bill SB1084, introduced by Republican Senators Mark Hollo, Warren Daniel and Brad Overcash, establishes that the early voting period must begin on the second Thursday before the election and end at 3 p.m. on the Saturday before the election. 

Currently, the early voting period begins on the third Thursday before the election, so the proposed change would reduce the time by a week, from 17 to 10 days. 

SB1084 was sent to the Senate Rules Committee for discussion. 

If approved during the current short session, the proposal would take effect immediately and would be effective for the crucial midterm elections scheduled for November 3. 

Early voting is the most popular form of voter participation in North Carolina. 

In 2024, of the total of 5.7 million people who voted in the presidential election, 4.2 million did so early, according to official data from the North Carolina State Board of Elections.