Friday voter registration deadline; Arguments for “ballot selfies” heard today

RALEIGH, N.C. (WITN) – Amid Friday's looming voting deadline, disputes over ballot selfies are being heard in an Eastern Carolina court.

The early voting period begins October 17th and ends November 2nd, three days before Election Day, November 5th.

People who miss that deadline can register for early voting at any location in their county and vote at the same time during the 17-day early voting period, according to the State Board of Elections.

Early voting websites and schedules for individual counties can be found on the State Board of Elections' early voting search page.

Meanwhile, today the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina will discuss whether to stop enforcement of North Carolina's ban on “ballot selfies” in Hogarth v. Brinson Bell.

Lawyers say Susan Hogarth took a selfie with a completed primary ballot in a voting booth in March and posted it to X. She argues that taking photos with a ballot is election speech protected by the First Amendment. However, the corresponding measure is illegal in North Carolina.

Attorneys say Susan received a letter from the North Carolina State Board of Elections threatening misdemeanor charges if she didn't resign the post.

Officials say that under state law, the regular registration deadline is 25 days before an election. This year, it is important to note that locations and schedules are likely to change following the impacts of Hurricane Helene in the western part of the state.

To register as a voter, an individual must be a U.S. citizen, possess a driver's license or other NCDMV identification card, have lived in a North Carolina residence indicated on their registration form for 30 days prior to Election Day, and be at least 18 years of age, and is not currently serving any sentence for a felony, including probation, post-release supervision, or parole.

Any eligible resident may complete a paper voter registration application in English or Spanish and return it to their county elections office by October 11 at 5:00 p.m.

If a person has a driver's license or other NCDMV identification card, they can also register online.

Voter registration forms mailed by the Oct. 11 deadline will continue to be processed for this election if they are received by the county Board of Elections with a postmark indicating the form was mailed by Oct. 11.

There is a five-day grace period if the postmark is missing or illegible, but the state says the form will only be processed if it is received by Wednesday, Oct. 16.

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