NC Republicans Propose Limiting Early Voting Days Across State
Republican senators want to cut North Carolina’s 17-day early voting period to just 10 days, despite early voting being the preferred method for over 65% of state voters.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — Republican senators introduced legislation this week to reduce North Carolina’s early voting period from 17 days to 10 days, focusing on what has become the state’s most popular method of casting ballots.
Senate Bill 749, filed Tuesday by Senator Ralph Hise of Mitchell County and Senator Warren Daniel of Burke County, would eliminate the first week of early voting while maintaining the final 10 days before Election Day. Early voting has grown to account for more than 65% of all ballots cast in recent North Carolina elections.
Bill Details and Sponsor Arguments
“We need to streamline our election process and reduce costs to taxpayers,” Hise said in a statement. “Ten days provides ample opportunity for voters to cast their ballots early while reducing the burden on county election boards.”
The legislation would require counties to maintain the same number of early voting sites but operate them for fewer days. Counties would save an estimated $2.3 million statewide in staffing and operational costs, according to the bill’s fiscal analysis.
Daniel argued the change would improve election security by reducing the window for potential irregularities. “A shorter, more concentrated voting period allows for better oversight and management of the entire process,” he said.
Opposition and Voting Rights Concerns
Democratic legislators and voting rights advocates criticized the proposal, arguing it would create longer lines and reduce access for working voters who rely on the flexibility of the extended early voting period.
“This is a clear attempt to make it harder for North Carolinians to vote,” said Senator Julie Mayfield of Buncombe County, the ranking Democratic member on the Elections Committee. “Early voting is popular precisely because it gives working families more options to participate in our democracy.”
Tomas Lopez, executive director of Democracy North Carolina, called the bill “a solution in search of a problem.” He noted that North Carolina’s current early voting system has operated smoothly for more than a decade without significant issues.
Current Early Voting Usage
North Carolina expanded early voting to 17 days in 2013, making it one of the more generous early voting states in the nation. The State Board of Elections reports that early voting participation has steadily increased, with 3.2 million North Carolinians casting early ballots in the 2025 municipal elections.
Wake County, the state’s second-largest county, saw 71% of voters choose early voting in recent elections. Mecklenburg County reported similar numbers at 69%, while rural counties averaged 58% early voting participation.
The bill faces an uncertain path in the Republican-controlled legislature, where some GOP members have previously supported maintaining expanded voting access. Senator Joyce Krawiec of Forsyth County, a Republican who chairs the Elections Committee, has not yet taken a public position on the proposal.
A committee hearing on Senate Bill 749 has been scheduled for next Tuesday, with public comment expected from county election directors and advocacy groups on both sides of the issue.
