N.C. A&T Students Denied On-Campus Voting Again as State Board Rejects Early Voting Site

North Carolina A&T State University students will once again have to leave campus to access early voting after election officials rejected requests to restore an on-campus polling location for the November general election.

The Republican-controlled North Carolina State Board of Elections voted Thursday against providing an early voting site at A&T, the nation's largest historically Black college or university. Student activists were present during the meeting and had pushed for the return of the campus location, which was available during the 2024 general election.

The decision follows an earlier vote by the state board to remove early voting sites from A&T, UNC Greensboro and Western Carolina University. Students and voting-rights advocates have argued that eliminating campus locations creates unnecessary barriers for college students, particularly those who lack reliable transportation or have limited time between classes and other responsibilities.

A federal judge also recently declined a request from the College Democrats of North Carolina and four students to restore the three campus voting locations.

At A&T, the issue carries additional historical significance. The Greensboro university has a long history of student activism, including the famous 1960 sit-ins at the Woolworth lunch counter that became an important moment in the Civil Rights Movement.

For some students, the campus polling location has made the difference between voting and not voting. A&T sophomore Tiana Partee said she used the campus site during the 2024 presidential election and believes she may not have voted if she had been required to travel elsewhere.

State Board of Elections member Jeff Carmon, one of two Democrats on the board, opposed removing the campus sites. He said providing convenient early voting locations allows more people to participate in elections and questioned whether voters are better served by having fewer opportunities to cast their ballots.

The Guilford County Board of Elections also voted 4-1 to approve an early voting plan that does not include locations at A&T or UNC Greensboro. The plan retains most of the county's previous sites while moving two locations and adding sites at Union Square in Greensboro and Stokesdale Town Hall.

Because the Guilford County vote was not unanimous, the North Carolina State Board of Elections will make the final decision on the county's early voting plan.

For A&T students, the decision means a familiar voting option remains unavailable as they prepare for the November election.