Bevers: Don't share voter registration information
By Steve Herring
Published in News on August 17, 2018 5:50 AM
Dane Beavers, Wayne County's elections director, offers simple advice when it comes to people sharing their voter registration information with a stranger -- don't.
While currently not an issue in Wayne County, State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement investigators are reviewing alleged misconduct during voter registration drives in Pitt, New Hanover and Robeson counties.
The allegations center on reports that the individuals misinformed voters that they must re-register in order to cast a ballot in the Nov. 6 mid-term election.
Voters who are already registered do not have to re-register or update their registrations unless they have moved or wish to change their name or party affiliation.
The state board office also received reports that individuals have approached people at their homes or businesses, falsely identifying themselves as county or state elections workers.
County and state election officials do not go door-to-door.
There has not been a rash of such problems in Wayne County, although it is not uncommon during popular election cycles, Beavers said.
"We have had a couple of comments regarding some folks in Wayne County who were trying to convince people to fill out a registration form even when they knew they were already registered," Beavers said.
"It's a fairly common practice that I think comes from groups who maybe pay people to collect voter registration forms.
"So sometimes because of the compensation, those people may get a little overzealous trying to make some extra money and start maybe misleading people into believing that they need to re-register or they need to update their registration."
It is unlawful in North Carolina to pay voter drive participants on a per-form basis.
It is a Class I felony to falsify a voter registration form and a Class 2 misdemeanor to retain a copy of a registrant's confidential information, such as date of birth or driver's license number.
Beavers encourages anyone who has any questions about eligibility to vote to call his office at 919-731-1411, or visit waynevotes.com.
A tool on the website lets people look up their current registration.
"Just don't take the advice of a person on the street when it comes to something as important as your right to vote," Beavers said. "We have people waiting here to talk to you.
"We will walk you through the process. We will help you get registered if you are not already, and we will make sure and confirm your registration if you are registered now."
People also can call the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement at 919-814-0700 or visit vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup.
"Voters should check their registrations online," said Kim Westbrook Strach, executive director of the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement. "There is no reason to submit a new form unless the information is outdated.
"The state board will investigate all credible allegations of voter registration fraud by individuals or organizations," Strach said. "When workers involved in voter drives falsify or alter information on registration forms, it can cause problems for innocent voters at the polls."
There is nothing a board of elections can do about voter registration drives, except handle it when an issue comes into the office since anyone can conduct a registration drive, there are no requirements, he said.
"You can come by and pick up a pack or forms, or you can print them off the website, and go out and do registration drives on your own," Beavers said. "That is not controlled by us or the state board. It's typically civic groups, or private organizations.
"If we can identify fraudulent registrations or even questionable registrations, we do have a process that we go through to verify them as best we can."
If any type of fraudulent activity is identified, it is forwarded to the state board's investigation department, he said.
The state notice about the recent investigation is to give everyone a heads up that some group is at it again, and that people need to stay vigilant, Beavers said.
"Personally, I would be hesitant to give out my personal information to a total stranger who approached me on the corner of the sidewalk somewhere," he said.
When filling out a registration form people need to ensure it is correct and complete, Beavers said.
Sometimes information is changed slightly on the form possibly because the person taking the information transcribes it incorrectly or misunderstands.
"And it ends up maybe changing your registration," Beavers said. "Let's say for example, you don't specify what party you want to be registered with.
"After you walk away, they go ahead and fill out the party portion for you. What happens there is your registration gets changed to a party you are unaware of."
When that happens, the elections office will mail the person a voter registration card reflecting the changes.
"I have had that happen before when people come in and say, 'Why did you change my party?'" Beavers said. "Then we have to explain to them that we have on file a copy of their registration form.
"We show it to them and say, 'We received this update that shows us you wanted to change your registration, and you signed it.' So that is why I say be very careful about your voter registration information."