How to Get ID
to Vote
(and Other Official Documents)
January 25, 2014
Why Are We Talking About ID?
New law says a state-approved
photo ID is required to vote in
person, starting in 2016
Why Now?
• Starting in 2014, poll workers will ask inperson voters if they have one of the
required IDs. You don’t need to answer or
show an ID in order to vote.
• The State Board of Elections will help
those without an ID get one for free
• Official NC documents needed to get an
ID will also be available to registered
voters for free
REACHING VOTERS
WITHOUT ID
Who Doesn’t Have an ID?
We can’t be sure how many people don’t
have an acceptable government IDs, but
research shows they are most likely to be
• poor
• elderly
• women
• non-college youth
• people of color
IDEAS FOR REACHING
VOTERS
Voter ID Outreach:
Part of a Whole
• Because the majority of voters you
encounter will already have an acceptable
form of ID, outreach to help “get people
voter IDs” should only be done with
education about other voting law changes.
• This encourages a conversation about
voting without frightening people.
Strategy Suggestions:
Registration
Conduct voter registration drives in
locations where you’re likely to meet up
with people from affected communities
• Seniors
• People of color
• Non-college youth
• Poor people
• Renters
Strategy Suggestions:
Registration
• When you’re registering someone to vote,
ask, “Do you have a driver’s license or a
state ID?”
• Explain to voters that a new law says they
will need a government photo ID for the
next presidential election.
• Offer to help voters who don’t have an
acceptable form of ID or who say that they
know someone who might have problems.
Strategy Suggestions:
Registration
• Try partnering with local nonprofits that
serve communities likely to be affected.
• Offer to register their clients and provide
educational materials about the voting law
changes.
• Include questions and information about
IDs and the voting law changes in your
conversations while registering voters.
Strategy Suggestion:
Phone Calls
• Call voters who potentially lack proper
photo ID. We can provide lists and scripts!
• Call the members of your church or civic
organization and make sure they have the
proper photo ID.
Strategy Suggestion:
Transportation
• Drive voters who need to get the proper ID
to the DMV office. Wait with them and take
notes about the process (length of time,
the way employees treat them, any
confusion about what documents are
acceptable).
• Report any problems back to Democracy
NC at 1-888-OUR-VOTE.
Who Doesn’t Need a
Photo ID?
• Voters who qualify for curbside voting (must
have difficulty standing in line or reaching the
polling place due to age or physical
disability).
• Voters who object to having a photo taken for
religious reasons (must sign declaration
before the election).
• Voters who vote by mail – “absentee voting”
Note: You will still have to show another kind of
ID document.
HOW TO GET A FREE ID
FOR VOTING
What Kind of ID Will I Need?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
NC driver’s license
NC identification card
US passport
US military ID
Veteran’s benefits card
Tribal enrollment card
No student IDs accepted
Expiration Date
• The ID must be current (not expired,
revoked, or suspended) – with an
exception for seniors.
• Military, veteran’s, or tribal IDs without an
expiration date are good up to 8 years
after a date showing when issued.
Seniors and Recent
Transplants
• If any acceptable ID was current when the
voter turned 70, it’s good for life.
• Out-of-state licenses may be used for 90
days after you register to vote in NC.
Name and Address
• The name on your ID doesn’t need to
exactly match the name on your voter
registration record, but be sure the names
resemble each other. Your name on the
voter registration roll can be easily
changed; call your county elections board.
• The address on the ID doesn’t matter; the
photo ID proves your identity, not your
address.
Free IDs for Voting
• If you are a registered or an eligible voter
without a current, acceptable photo ID,
you can get a free ID from the DMV
(normally $10)
• You’ll need to sign a sworn statement that
you don’t have any of the acceptable IDs.
Lying is a Class 1 felony.
• You can go to a DMV office in any county
to apply for the no-fee ID.
What Documents Do I Need?
• 2 official documents with your full legal name;
at least one must have your date of birth.
• 1 document with your residential address if
neither identity document has your address.
• A valid Social Security number. If DMV can’t
verify your SSN, you need a document with it,
like one of the identity docs.
• If you have trouble getting 2 documents,
bring what you have to the DMV.
Acceptable Documents:
Name & DOB - 1
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ID or driver’s license from another state
Social Security card
Certified birth certificate
Certified marriage certificate
W-2 or 1099
Unexpired passport
Unexpired military ID, DD-2, DD-214,
military dependent card, or veteran’s card
- continued next slide
Acceptable Documents:
Name & DOB - 2
• US court document (divorce, adoption, child
support, naturalization, change of name or
gender, arrest, etc.)
• NC school record (transcript or registration
signed by school official; GED or diploma)
• Motor vehicle record from NC or another
state
• Limited driving privilege that is less than 1
year expired (related to a DWI conviction)
Acceptable Documents:
NC Residency - 1
• Any government document (state, county,
city, or federal)
• Car title or registration
• Voter registration card
• Military orders/documents
• Utility or cable bill
• Lease or mortgage statement
Acceptable Documents:
NC Residency - 2
•
•
•
•
•
•
Property or income tax statement
Preprinted financial statement
School records
Car insurance policy
Letter from homeless shelter
If you don’t have a document to prove your
NC residency, sign an affidavit at the DMV
HOW TO GET FREE
MARRIAGE & BIRTH
CERTIFICATES FOR VOTING
Free Birth & Marriage
Certificates for Voting
• If you don’t have an acceptable photo ID, you
can get a free certified copy of a NC birth or
marriage certificate from your county Register
of Deeds or the NC Office of Vital Records.
• You may get 1 free document; not both.
• To get the document free, you must sign a
sworn statement saying you don’t have any
of the acceptable IDs. Lying is a Class 1
felony.
How Do I Get One?
• Apply in person at the NC Vital Records
Office
• Apply by mail through the NC Vital
Records Office
• Apply in person at your county Register of
Deeds
NC Vital Records Office
• They have birth and marriage certificates
for every county
– Birth certificates from 1913 on
– Marriage certificates from 1962 on
• You can apply by mail (just enclose the
documents)
• They allow “near family members” to apply
• They’re often more flexible than county
Registers of Deeds
Who’s a
“Near Family Member”?
• Current spouse
• Siblings
• Children, step-children, or
grandchildren
• Parents, step-parents, or
grandparents
County Registers of Deeds
• Procedures vary from county to county
• To get one of the free documents for
voting, you must go in person
• If born before 1971, go to the Register of
Deeds in the county where you were born
• If born after 1971, you should be able to
go to any Register of Deeds in the state
(but call the office to double check)
County Registers of Deeds
• To get a free marriage certificate, you must
go in person to the Register of Deeds in
the county that issued your marriage
license.
• If you have trouble with your local Register
of Deeds, try the NC Vital Records Office
instead.
Who Can Request It?
• NC Vital Records Office will allow a free
birth or marriage certificate for voting to be
requested by the voter, a near family
member, or an authorized agent, attorney,
or legal representative
• County Registers of Deeds may refuse to
provide the free certificates to anyone but
the voter him or herself
What Documents
Will I Need?
• Required documents will vary depending
on whether you request records through
the state (Vital Records) or the county
(Register of Deeds)
– Contact your local Register of Deeds to
find out what documents they will accept
– Contact NC Vital Records Office to find
out what documents they will accept
Proof of Voter Registration
• You’ll also need to provide proof of voter
registration
• This can be your voter registration card,
your online profile from the State Board of
Elections website, or other proof from the
county or State Board of Elections
• Local Registers of Deeds may have a
preference; contact them to find out
What if I Wasn’t Born in NC?
• The rules and requirements around getting
vital records (birth and marriage
certificates) vary from state to state.
• This website will give you the contact
information for the vital records office in
the state where you were born (or
married): www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm
No ID? Vote Absentee!
• If the process is too difficult or the voter
wants another option, they can vote by
mail using an absentee ballot.
• Any registered voter may vote by mail.
• Applications for a mail-in absentee ballot
are on websites of boards of elections.
Follow all the rules carefully.
For More Information
• NC Vital Records Office,
vitalrecords.nc.gov, (919) 733-3000
• Find most Register of Deeds offices on the
web using a search engine
• NC State Board of Elections,
http://www.ncsbe.gov, (866) 522-4723
Questions? Problems?
Contact Democracy North Carolina and we’ll
do our best to help you out!
(919) 286-6000 or
toll free (888) OUR-VOTE
info@democracy-nc.org
www.democracy-nc.org