Proposed Polling Site Rules Could Silence Voter Advocates at Polls

RALEIGH, N.C. (June 8, 2026) — The ACLU of North Carolina (ACLU-NC) and Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) are urging the State Board of Elections to reject rules it’s considering that would silence voter engagement volunteers at polling places and restrict constitutionally protected speech.

The two organizations filed public comments late last week, warning the proposed polling site rules go far beyond what state law requires and risk unconstitutionally restricting the voter engagement activities North Carolinians depend on at the polls.

Every election, nonpartisan voter engagement organizations set up outside polling places across the state to answer voters' questions and distribute information about the voting process and ballot measures. They create a welcoming and often fun presence that makes voting feel less intimidating, particularly for first-time voters and communities who have historically faced barriers at the ballot box. These activities are legal, protected by the First Amendment, and essential to a healthy democracy.

The proposed rules would prohibit anyone outside a polling place from making any noise that is audible inside the voting enclosure, regardless of the source, who they are, what they are saying, or whether the sound is actually disrupting anyone. The rules would also ban all sound amplification devices — such as portable speakers — outside a voting place during voting hours. ACLU-NC and SCSJ warn these sweeping restrictions would silence legitimate, constitutionally protected voter engagement activity, and that vague language with no clear standards invites selective and potentially discriminatory enforcement across the state’s many voting sites.

“North Carolina law already gives election officials the tools they need to maintain order at polling places,” said Lily Talerman, Counsel for Voting Rights at SCSJ. “The proposed rules carelessly and unnecessarily expand those powers, and in doing so, risk shutting out the very people who help voters navigate the process. That’s not maintaining order; it’s suppressing participation.”

“The First Amendment clearly protects the voter engagement activities these proposed rules would stifle,” said Jaci Maffetore, Senior Staff Attorney at ACLU-NC. “Election administration and the rules that govern it must respect fundamental constitutional rights, including the right to engage in protected speech. North Carolinians deserve polling places that are welcoming, accessible, and allow voters to cast ballots with confidence and access to accurate information.”

SCSJ and ACLU-NC are urging the State Board to withdraw the proposed rules and continue following the existing statutory framework. If the State Board moves forward, the groups are asking for clear, objective standards (like specific decibel limits) that can be applied consistently and fairly across all of North Carolina’s voting sites.

Read the full public comments letter below.

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Southern Coalition for Social Justice came together in 2007 to give Black, Brown, and low-income people better resources in the fight for justice across the South. We are lawyers, social scientists, organizers, and media professionals working to dismantle racism and oppression in the criminal legal system, in our environment, and at the ballot box. Learn more at southerncoalition.org and follow our work on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

The ACLU of North Carolina dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States and North Carolina Constitutions for all and expand the reach of their guarantees.