Overview
- Students and the College Democrats of North Carolina filed a federal suit against the state elections board and county boards in Guilford and Jackson after 3–2 votes rejected on-campus early voting at North Carolina A&T, UNC Greensboro, and Western Carolina University.
- The plaintiffs are seeking an emergency injunction to reinstate those campus locations before early voting begins on Feb. 12 ahead of the March 3 primary.
- The complaint alleges violations of the First, Fourteenth, and Twenty-Sixth Amendments and details barriers for students such as limited transportation, demanding class schedules, and the loss of on-campus same-day registration access available only during early voting.
- Officials defended the removals by citing low turnout, cost, and logistical issues, while the filing notes the nearest site to Western Carolina University is roughly two miles away along a highway without pedestrian infrastructure.
- The three campuses serve more than 40,000 students, the plaintiffs are represented in part by Marc Elias’ firm, and commentary from the John Locke Foundation highlighted historically low usage at A&T’s 2024 primary early-voting site.