New Website Aims to Make Voting Easier in North Carolina

As Election Day 2022 fast approaches, a new tool has been launched to make the process easier for North Carolina voters. The site, learnaboutvotingnc.com, was created by Meredith College Associate Professor of Political Science Whitney Ross Manzo and UNC-Chapel Hill Associate Professor of Public Policy Rebecca Kreitzer.

According to Manzo and Kreitzer, between 35-60% of eligible American voters don’t vote in an average election. One of the reasons is that the process of voting is complicated and time-consuming. The new website is meant to take some of the confusion out of the process.

“The goal of the project was to take all of the information that is out there about voting in North Carolina and consolidate it into an easy-to-use platform,” said Manzo. “While the State Board of Elections website has a wealth of information, people who are not regular voters may find it challenging to find and understand key information. We hope our website makes it easier to find accurate information from official sources.”

On the Learn About Voting NC website, voters can find answers to ten important questions.

• Why should I vote in every election, in every race?
• Am I eligible to vote?
• How and by when do I register to vote?
• How and by when do I request and submit an absentee ballot to vote by mail?
• How, when, and where do I vote early, in-person?
• How, when, and where do I vote on Election Day, in-person?
• How will I know if my vote was counted?
• How do I find my Voter Details?
• When are the votes counted and results posted?
• Are elections in NC safe and secure?

In addition to providing voter information, another goal of the site is to increase voter confidence by making the voting process more transparent and helping potential voters understand the importance of participating in each election.

Visit  learnaboutvotingnc.com for more information. A Spanish-language version of the site will launch soon.

Meredith College students are also working to encourage voter participation this fall. Through the Meredith Votes class, students are conducting a voter registration drive, preparing materials to help the Meredith community be more informed about their choices in the midterm elections, and energizing members of the Meredith community to vote.