NC’s State Board of Elections must stand up for student voters

A coordinated attack on North Carolina’s student voters

Earlier in 2026, several counties took a page from the Watauga BOE playbook and began cutting on-campus early voting sites for this year’s primary election. Jackson, Guilford, and Pasquotank counties are poised to do the same for the November election.

For the 2026 primary, the Jackson County BOE and the State BOE voted to remove an early voting site at Western Carolina University, which had existed in every primary and general election since 2016. For the upcoming 2026 general election, the county board failed again to find the required unanimous consensus needed to reopen the WCU site,  leaving the decision in the hands of the State Board. The evidence shows that this is a deliberate, coordinated attack on young voters.  During a Jackson County BOE meeting on the issue, it was revealed that the state auditor’s office pressured Board members to vote against the WCU site—staff from the State Auditor’s office went so far as to send text messages to Jackson Board members urging them to cut the on-campus site, imploring the Board Members, “don’t let them have a vote.”

In Pasquotank County, a majority of the BOE passed a plan to move their only early voting location away from Elizabeth City State University’s campus—a site Pasquotank voters have used in general elections since 2020. Similarly, a majority of the Guilford County BOE rejected calls from community members to include early voting sites at UNC Greensboro and NC A&T. Together, these institutions serve nearly 34,000 students, in addition to faculty and staff.

On-campus early voting sites are critical for students’ access — and safety

Students and other young voters face unique challenges getting to the polls. College-aged voters are among those least likely to own a car, and many do not have a driver’s license—in 2023, only 60% of 18-year-olds had a license, compared to nearly 90% of those over 35. Particularly in rural parts of North Carolina without robust public transportation, voting off campus without a car can become time-consuming, burdensome, and even dangerous.

For both the 2026 primary and general elections, for example, the proposed alternative location to the closed Western Carolina University on-campus site is nearly a mile-and-a-half walk from campus along a busy road with no sidewalks or crosswalks. Why would Jackson County not provide a more accessible polling location for an institution that serves 11,000 students—nearly a quarter of the County’s entire population—and employs hundreds of voter-eligible faculty and staff?

Not just for students, but for the entire community

On-campus sites benefit more than just student voters. In addition to providing a centralized early voting location for faculty, staff, and surrounding residential communities, on-campus polling locations often provide critically needed infrastructure to better accommodate voters with disabilities—like ample parking and modern ADA-compliant facilities. This is particularly helpful during early voting when voters may choose any early voting location countywide to cast their ballot, allowing voters with disabilities to choose a site that suits their needs.

The decisions made in the coming weeks will determine whether thousands of North Carolina students can vote where they live, study, and contribute to their communities. The State Board of Elections has both the authority and the responsibility to prevent unnecessary barriers to participation.

Patrick Williamson is policy counsel with the nonprofit Fair Elections Center.