State board declines campus early-voting sites for March primary

The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted Jan. 14 not to designate several university campuses, including N.C. A&T and UNC Greensboro, as early-voting sites for the upcoming primary, leaving those campuses available only as election-day polling locations. Students and campus leaders called the decision "disheartening" and warned it may create barriers to participation for a population that often faces tight schedules and transportation limits.

Local election officials in Guilford County said the county board still plans a range of early voting locations across the county and emphasized that sites are set based on the needs of each election. The Guilford County Board of Elections director noted students who want to vote before primary day can use other early-voting sites and encouraged voters to plan ahead. In-person early voting in North Carolina is scheduled to begin Feb. 12, with the primary set for Mar. 3.

The move shifts the burden of access from campus hubs to the broader county network. For students at N.C. A&T and UNC Greensboro — home to large populations of commuting and first-generation college students — being absent from the early-voting map means extra trips, potential conflicts with classes and exams, and reliance on campus transportation or public transit schedules that may not align with polling hours. Campus organizers said the change risks lowering turnout among young voters who have recently been a decisive bloc in local and statewide races.

County officials argue that a fixed list of on-campus sites is not always the best solution for every election and that mobile and neighborhood sites can reach more voters in some precincts. They also pointed to the preservation of campus polling places on primary day as a safeguard for students who cannot leave campus on March 3. Still, students and some campus leaders maintained that the ability to cast a ballot at a familiar campus location during early voting offers a practical, visible way to boost participation.

The decision also carries broader implications for civic engagement patterns in Guilford County. Early voting is often used by working voters, caregivers and students whose schedules make a single Election Day difficult. Reducing campus access may require additional outreach and logistical planning from student groups, university administrations and community organizations to ensure turnout does not fall.

For Guilford County voters, the immediate step is practical: check the county board’s announced early-voting locations, review schedules before Feb. 12, and plan transportation if the nearest site is off campus. As the primary approaches, county officials will continue to finalize sites and outreach efforts to try to bridge the gap left by the State Board’s decision.