North Carolina counties including Harnett County have recently submitted early voting plans that would reduce access for some voters. According to a Democracy Docket article, Republican members of county election boards in at least six counties have advanced plans to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) that would make it harder for some groups of people to vote. These proposed plans specifically target Sunday early voting and early voting sites on college campuses. When county boards cannot agree unanimously on an early voting plan, the state board is authorized to choose between the plans or set its own

Read the Democracy Docket article here.

  • Election boards in counties such as Harnett, Guilford, Craven, Cumberland, Pitt and Jackson have submitted early voting plans that were not approved unanimously.

  • Many of these plans would remove Sunday early voting hours entirely and eliminate early voting sites on college campuses. Removing Sunday hours and campus sites could make it more difficult for working voters, students, and some minority voters to participate.

  • These proposals arrive amid broader debates over voting access in North Carolina after Republicans gained control of the state and county election boards.

How This Relates to Harnett County

In Harnett County’s early voting plan for the November 2025 election, the Board of Elections removed Sunday early voting hours when it voted to approve the plan. This change came as part of negotiations over sites and was approved by a majority vote rather than unanimously. The Board submitted that majority plan to the State Board of Elections for review.

Removing Sunday early voting can have real impacts for local voters because Sunday has historically been a day when many people who cannot take time off work or who participate in community voting drives are able to cast their ballots. It has also been a part of civic traditions in communities across North Carolina. 

Why This Matters

The Democracy Docket article highlights that the push to cut Sunday voting and campus sites is part of wider efforts in some counties to narrow voting access, especially affecting:

  • Working people who rely on weekend hours to vote.

  • Students and younger voters who historically vote at campus sites.

  • Minority voters who often participate in Sunday early voting traditions like “Souls to the Polls.”

The North Carolina State Board of Elections will now review all these plans before early voting begins next year.