North Carolina College Students’ Campus Early Voting Denied

A federal judge has ruled that North Carolina college students will not get on-campus early voting sites before this week’s primary begins.

Video

U.S. District Judge William L. Osteen denied a request for a preliminary injunction filed by students and the College Democrats of North Carolina after the State Board of Elections rejected proposed early voting sites at NC A&T State University, UNC Greensboro, and Western Carolina University.

Students involved in the lawsuit argued that many classmates lack reliable transportation, making it harder to reach off-campus polling locations during the early voting period.

In a 14-page opinion issued Sunday, Osteen wrote that the request raised practical concerns.

“Those universities are independent entities that are not party to this case and not subject to this court’s equitable powers,” Osteen stated.

He also called it “speculative” to assume that granting the injunction would automatically result in early voting sites opening on campus within days.

“That the universities hosted early voting sites in prior elections, or that one of them indicated over a month ago that it could do so in this election, is one thing,” Osteen wrote. “Whether they are able or willing to do so now, only days away from the start of the early voting period, is another.”

The court further reasoned that changing polling locations at the last minute could create voter confusion, since early voting sites and schedules were announced in January.

While Osteen did not block a potential appeal, the timeline is tight. Early in-person voting for the March 3 primary election begins Thursday.

For now, students at the three universities will need to cast their ballots at designated off-campus early voting locations.