Republicans wants to reduce the early voting period in North Carolina

Raleigh. A new bill would drastically reduce the early voting period in North Carolina.

House Bill 66, introduced by new Republican Rep. Wyatt Gable (Onslow County), proposes that early voting must begin on the second Monday before Election Day, which would reduce that period to less than a week.

In the 2024 general election, early voting lasted 17 days, from Oct. 17 to Nov. 3, as current law says it must start on the third Thursday before Election Day and end on the last Saturday before the elections. 

Under HB66, the 2024 early voting period would have begun on Oct. 28 and ended after just 6 days, on Nov. 2.

Most voters in North Carolina use the early voting period to cast their ballots.

According to statistics from the State Board of Elections, of the more than 5.7 million people who voted in last November’s elections, 4.2 million did so during the 17 days of early voting.

HB66 was sent to the House Rules and Operations Committee.

In addition to Gable, the proposal has the support of other Republican lawmakers, including Steve Tyson (Craven County), Keith Kidwell (Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico counties) and Paul Scott (Cleveland, Rutherford counties).