Tags: north carolina | voter rolls | voter id | rnc | dnc | election integrity

Settlement Gives 73,000 N.C. Voters Time to Update ID

By    |   Tuesday, 17 February 2026 04:54 PM EST

An agreement has been reached to allow 73,000 North Carolina residents more time to show identification to remain on the state's voter rolls, according to reports.

The settlement was signed by both the Democratic and Republican parties Monday and has been sent to a federal court for approval.

The state and national Republican parties sued election officials in 2024, claiming a quarter-million voters had been improperly registered because they failed to provide the last four digits of their Social Security number, driver's license numbers, or claimed they had neither form of identification.

The 73,000 registrations are tied to a flawed state voter registration form that did not properly require or capture the legally required identifying information.

The Democratic National Committee intervened in the suit after Republicans asked that the ballots voters had cast be tossed and their registrations removed.

As part of the settlement, a voter who can't provide a driver's license or Social Security number and has not certified they have either will still be able to cast a provisional ballot in November.

Democrats declared victory following the settlement.

"This latest victory is a win for Americans and yet another blow to the Republicans' scheme to disenfranchise voters ahead of the midterm elections," DNC chair Ken Martin said in a statement.

Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters also said the settlement is a win for Republicans looking to enforce commonsense voter ID requirements in North Carolina.

"The parties' agreement to enter into a consent judgment is a major win for election integrity and a clear rebuke of Democrats who tried to weaken basic safeguards," Gruters said.

"For too long, North Carolina's State Board of Elections failed to meet basic safeguards that protect our elections," Gruters added.

"Democrats in North Carolina want to count ballots without a driver's license number or Social Security number as required by the law," Gruters continued. "The RNC will always fight to ensure our election laws are clear, fair, and consistently enforced."

The North Carolina State Board of Elections said it has sent letters to 82,000 voters asking them to update their registrations. Last year, the board reportedly updated more than 20,000 records in its system.

As of December 2025, around 73,000 voters do not yet have that information on file — down from about 100,000 during the summer of the same year.

North Carolina law requires voters to show ID when they vote.

The Tar Heel State will play host to one of the most hotly contested Senate races in 2026, with former Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper challenging former RNC Chair Michael Whatley to fill an open seat after Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., declined to run for reelection.

Sam Barron

Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.

© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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An agreement has been reached to allow 73,000 North Carolina residents more time to show identification to remain on the state's voter rolls, according to reports.
north carolina, voter rolls, voter id, rnc, dnc, election integrity
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2026-54-17
Tuesday, 17 February 2026 04:54 PM
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