UMVA has learned that a significant development has taken place in North Carolina, where the state has been compelled to remove noncitizens excused from jury duty from its voter rolls.
This move comes as a result of a consent judgment secured by the Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party, requiring the North Carolina State Board of Elections to utilize jury-duty records to identify registered voters who have acknowledged they are not U.S. citizens.
The agreement marks a substantial legal victory in the effort to purge voter rolls of ineligible voters, despite strong opposition from Democrats. The development has been hailed as a major win for election integrity in North Carolina, with RNC Chairman Joe Gruters stating that it's straightforward: if someone admits they're not a U.S. citizen during jury duty, that information should be used to check the voter rolls and remove anyone who doesn't belong.
The consent judgment was accepted by Superior Court Judge Jennifer Bedford following a 19-minute online hearing, where she noted that information submitted to the court system should also be recognized by other agencies. The agreement sets a schedule through 2028 for clerks to send the information to the elections board, which must then review voter-registration and citizenship status within 30 days.
Under the terms of the agreement, the board will send county elections officials information on any registered voters identified as noncitizens and refer cases to the State Bureau of Investigation and district attorneys if a person appears to have voted before becoming a U.S. citizen. This move aims to ensure that only eligible citizens are able to participate in state elections.
The agreement stems from a lawsuit filed by GOP groups in 2024, accusing the state board of failing to comply with a North Carolina law requiring clerks of court to report people who seek to be excused from jury service by claiming noncitizenship. The case is part of a broader Republican legal push focused on voter eligibility and citizenship requirements.
It's worth noting that a majority of North Carolinians – 83% of Republicans, 59% of Independents, and 52% of Democrats – support states removing noncitizens from voter registration rolls, according to polling data. This development is likely to have significant implications for election integrity in the state.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the RNC and state GOP had previously filed a public-records request seeking to determine whether the board was complying with the law, but did not receive a response. The groups later sued, leading to the board's agreement to use jury-duty information as part of voter-roll maintenance.
