I got a question from a friend about my blog post yesterday on the Griffin List. So I’m adding this post to make things clearer, because this is a very important issue.

In my first post (click here to see that), I was focused on the photo ID issue. That’s because it could be especially problematic for our soldiers and students oversees who had to vote from outside the US. HOWEVER, that is NOT the only reason the Republicans are challenging tens of thousands of ballots (from DEMOCRATIC-leaning communities). I don’t believe it is the primary reason for challenging votes.

They are also asking the courts to throw out any ballots that have “incomplete” information in regards to the voter’s drivers license or last four digits of their Social Security number. I am assuming that means that one or more numbers from either or both of those IDs are missing. Maybe the voter messed up on the voter registration form; maybe the State Board of Elections accidentally did not transcribe the entire number. I don’t know. It doesn’t seem right to me to throw out a person’s vote for a minor administrative detail like that, but that’s my opinion.

And just to be clear, North Carolina allows people to register to vote even if they lack one or both of those forms of identification. Some approved IDs, such as military IDs, don ‘t include license numbers or Social Security numbers. There are also claims that some registered without including any approved ID.

THE IMPORTANT THING is that even if you showed a photo ID when you voted in person, or included a photo ID in your absentee ballot, you STILL may not be in the clear. That’s why everyone should check to see if their vote is being challenged, using the links I included in my previous post (click here for that post).

If there has been some mistake, it’s easy to rectify. Just amend your voting record with the complete number or the other request information, and the court decision says your vote must be counted.

So North Carolina voters, that can be your pro-Democracy act for today. Take a few minutes and check on your vote and the votes of your loved ones. If you went to the effort of voting, you want your vote to count. So check https://thegriffinlist.com. When it comes to your right to vote, better safe than sorry.