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Voting history · North Carolina

North Carolina

A dated list of changes to how Americans vote: district maps, polling places and drop boxes, voting laws and rules, and courts and election officials. Each entry says who did what and when, shows what became of it, and links to the page it rests on. Attempts that failed are listed as failed. Entries that rest on a news report name the outlet.

This is the state view: events recorded for North Carolina, then national events that apply here. See the national timeline.

Congressional districts in North Carolina

Choose a district to see the events tagged to it. A number after the district is how many events name it.

Kind of event
Decade

In North Carolina

1997

  1. Feb 3, 1997 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Camp Butner Reservation (Granville County): At-large method of election and staggered terms

    The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for North Carolina records an objection letter dated February 3, 1997, to Camp Butner Reservation (Granville County). The list describes the change as "At-large method of election and staggered terms." The list links the objection letter.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

1996

  1. Jun 13, 1996 Congressional district: NC-12 Courts and officials Struck down

    Supreme Court holds the 1992 version of North Carolina's 12th District unconstitutional

    In Shaw v. Hunt, decided June 13, 1996, the Court held that the North Carolina plan "violates the Equal Protection Clause because the State's reapportionment scheme is not narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest," in a challenge to majority-black Districts 1 and 12.

    Related: Supreme Court decides Shaw v. Reno · Supreme Court reverses a finding that the 1997 12th District was drawn mainly by race

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

  2. Feb 13, 1996 State Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to a law barring districts from crossing precinct lines

    On February 13, 1996 the Justice Department wrote that it "must object" to Chapter 355 (1995), which would prohibit state legislative and congressional district boundaries from crossing voting precinct lines unless the districts were found to violate Section 5.

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

1994

  1. Sep 13, 1994 County Laws and rules Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to Mount Olive's four-district, two at-large election plan

    On September 13, 1994 the Justice Department objected to the town of Mount Olive's four-district, two at-large method of election, including an increase from five to six commissioners. The Department's list places the town in Wayne County.

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

  2. Apr 25, 1994 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Laurinburg (Scotland County): Annexation (Ordinance No. 0-1994-01)

    The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for North Carolina records an objection letter dated April 25, 1994, to Laurinburg (Scotland County). The list describes the change as "Annexation (Ordinance No. 0-1994-01)." The list adds the note "Withdrawn 6-23-94." The list links the objection letter.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

1993

  1. Nov 16, 1993 State Laws and rules Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to delaying mail-in voter registration

    On November 16, 1993 the Justice Department wrote that it "must object" to the proposed delay in implementing the mail-in registration procedure.

    Related: National Voter Registration Act of 1993 becomes law

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

1991

  1. Dec 18, 1991 State Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to the 1991 House, Senate and congressional plans

    On December 18, 1991 the Justice Department wrote that it "must object" to the 1991 redistricting for the North Carolina State House, Senate and congressional plans to the extent each incorporated the proposed configurations for certain areas discussed in the letter. A 1996 letter refers to these as objections to the 1991 congressional, State House and State Senate plans.

    Related: Supreme Court decides Shaw v. Reno · Supreme Court holds the 1992 version of North Carolina's 12th District unconstitutional

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

  2. Sep 23, 1991 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Anson County School District

    The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for North Carolina records an objection letter dated September 23, 1991, to Anson County School District. The list describes the change as "Chapter 33 (1991)--method of election (two at-large positions and the 40-percent plurality requirement for nomination for those positions)." The list links the objection letter.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

1990

  1. Jun 28, 1990 County Laws and rules Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects to a majority-vote primary for Franklin County commissioners

    On June 28, 1990 the Justice Department wrote that it "must object" to the adoption of a majority-vote requirement in primary elections for the Franklin County Commission.

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

  2. May 29, 1990 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Anson County School District: At-large election with numbered positions and runoff requirement for two members

    The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for North Carolina records an objection letter dated May 29, 1990, to Anson County School District. The list describes the change as "Chapter 288 (1989)--at-large election with numbered positions and runoff requirement for two members." The list links the objection letter.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

  3. Apr 9, 1990 County Laws and rules Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Perquimans County

    The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for North Carolina records an objection letter dated April 9, 1990, to Perquimans County. The list describes the change as "Act No. 104 (1989)--method of election (elimination of residency requirement and adoption of plurality vote requirement for primary elections, and method of staggering terms)." The list links the objection letter.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

  4. Apr 9, 1990 County Laws and rules Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Perquimans County School District: Method of election (elimination of residency requirement and method of staggering terms)

    The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for North Carolina records an objection letter dated April 9, 1990, to Perquimans County School District. The list describes the change as "Act No. 105 (1989)--method of election (elimination of residency requirement and method of staggering terms)." The list links the objection letter.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

Nationwide

1993

  1. Jun 28, 1993 National Courts and officials Decided by a court

    Supreme Court decides Shaw v. Reno

    On June 28, 1993, the U.S. Supreme Court held that voters stated a claim under the Equal Protection Clause by alleging that a reapportionment plan was "so irrational on its face that it can be understood only as an effort to segregate voters into separate districts on the basis of race," without sufficient justification.

    Source last checked Oct 23, 2026

  2. May 20, 1993 National Laws and rules Enacted

    National Voter Registration Act of 1993 becomes law

    Public Law 103-31, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, is dated May 20, 1993. The law states its purpose as "to establish procedures that will increase the number of eligible citizens who register to vote in elections for Federal office."

    Related: Supreme Court decides Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona · Supreme Court decides Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute

    Source last checked Oct 29, 2026

How this timeline is built

Every entry rests on at least one source that was opened and read, and that source states the date and the fact. Courts, legislatures, election offices, the Justice Department, the Census Bureau, the Federal Register and Congress.gov come first. A news report is used only when no official page states the fact, and it is labeled with the outlet's name. Encyclopedias are not used as sources. History starts in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act. County names come from the Census Bureau's 2024 Gazetteer. Congressional district numbers are those in use for the 2026 election; an event is tagged to a district only when its source names that congressional district.

When a later event changes an earlier one, such as a law later struck down, both entries are listed and point to each other. This page does not predict outcomes or say which party a change helps. U.S. House maps for 2026 · How people voted in past elections, by county · Back to the 2026 voting center.