North Carolina election officials say a statewide database review identified approximately 34,000 deceased individuals still listed on the voter rolls — a finding that state leaders describe as part of routine list‑maintenance work, not evidence of fraudulent voting.
The N.C. State Board of Elections (NCSBE) confirmed that the names were flagged during a federally assisted data check that compared 7.39 million voter records with federal databases. Most of the deceased individuals died out of state, moved before passing, or were never reported to North Carolina’s vital‑records system.
State officials emphasized that there is no indication any of the deceased individuals cast ballots.
“The identification of deceased individuals on the voter rolls does not necessarily indicate that illegal votes were cast,” said NCSBE Executive Director Sam Hayes in a statement.
LOCAL IMPACT: COLUMBUS & BRUNSWICK COUNTIES
Both Columbus and Brunswick counties will now begin reviewing the flagged names to determine which records require removal. County boards are required by law to:
- Verify each record using state and federal data
- Notify voters or next‑of‑kin when required
- Remove names only after due‑process steps are completed
Election officials in both counties say the cleanup is normal, especially after large federal database checks.
Columbus County
Columbus County typically removes dozens of deceased voters each month based on state death reports. The new federal match may add additional names, particularly residents who died out of state or whose deaths were never reported locally.
A Columbus County elections official told BC News the county “expects a manageable number of cases” and that the cleanup will not affect upcoming election operations.
Brunswick County
Brunswick County — one of the fastest‑growing counties in the state — often sees higher numbers of voter‑roll updates due to population turnover. Officials there say they will follow the same verification process and expect the review to take several weeks.
WHY THE NUMBER IS SO HIGH
Election officials say the 34,000 figure reflects:
- Out‑of‑state deaths not reported to NC
- Delayed or incomplete death notifications
- Voters who moved away before passing
- Name or date‑of‑birth mismatches in state systems
North Carolina receives death data weekly from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, but federal checks help catch cases that slip through.
NO EVIDENCE OF FRAUD
State leaders stressed that the finding is not tied to any allegation of fraudulent voting. The review is part of the state’s compliance with federal list‑maintenance requirements under the National Voter Registration Act.
The cleanup process is expected to continue through the summer.
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