WCC Student ID Cards Approved for Voting Use
When they cast ballots in primary elections this March and select their presidential preference in November, Wilson Community College students can show their student identification cards at the polls to verify their identity under North Carolina’s voter ID law.
The N.C. State Board of Elections approved 21 student and government ID cards to be used for voting purposes in 2024, the board announced in a news release last week. The additions follow initial approval of 100 student and employee IDs last summer ahead of municipal elections.
WCC joins seven other community colleges, two county and two town governments, a private liberal arts college, a charter school and a K-12 school system as the 15 institutions receiving state elections board approval. Six institutions had multiple types of ID cards approved for voting. Pitt Community College in Winterville, for example, submitted its student and employee IDs for review.
“We appreciate all colleges and universities and local governments that have applied to have their IDs approved,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We urge all North Carolina voters to ensure they have an acceptable ID for voting purposes ahead of the 2024 primary election on March 5.”
The elections board sought applications from eligible educational institutions and government employers from Nov. 13 through Dec. 15. The board’s staff reviewed submissions for compliance with voter ID criteria in state law and recommended the 21 ID card types for approval. The five-member board unanimously agreed.
North Carolina’s voter ID law took effect with the 2023 municipal elections. Voters are now asked to present photo identification at the polls when they receive their ballot. Most voters show their driver’s license; a complete list of acceptable IDs is available at NCSBE.gov/voterID.
Voters without an acceptable photo ID card can get one for free from their county board of elections or from the state Division of Motor Vehicles. Visit www.ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id/get-free-voter-photo-id or www.ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/identification/ to learn more.
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