Hickory Sun

Two North Carolina House Republicans are supporting a bipartisan bill aimed at giving residents more methods to voting methods this fall in the face of public health concerns. 

Rep. Holly Grange (R-New Hanover) is supporting a bill that would give North Carolina voters requesting an absentee ballot more options, the Hickory Daily Record reported on May 27. The number of voters using a mail-in absentee ballot is expected to surge in November due to the COVID-19 pandemic and this bill should help provide the county boards of election resources to handle the surge. 

Grange is one of two Republican bill sponsors along with two Democrats, the Hickory Daily Record reported. 

“Because of the pandemic, voting is going to change,” Grange told the Hickory Daily Record. “So we wanted to make sure we gave the county boards of elections the resources that they needed and the guidance so that they could execute a safe election.”

The new bill would allow voters to turn in absentee ballot request forms by mail, email, in person or fax whereas before submission was restricted to in-person or mail, the Hickory Daily Record reported. An online portal for submitting requests would also be created by September to help with the surge. Absentee ballots would also only require one witness as well.