According to the statement issued by Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, voting twice in the election is a class 1 felony, “with intent to commit a fraud to register or vote at more than one precinct or more than one time…in the same primary or election.”
“There are numerous checks in place in North Carolina that prevents people from double voting,” Bell wrote in the statement. “Electronic pollbooks with information about who has already voted are used at every early voting site. If a voter tries to check in who has already voted, they will be prevented from voting a regular ballot.”
The statement also noted that the board conducts audits following the election “that check voter history against ballots cast and would detect if someone tries to vote more than once.”
“The State Board has a dedicated investigations team that investigates allegations of double voting, which are referred to prosecutors when warranted,” Bell’s statement added.
Newsweek was directed to the press release after reaching out to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
The statement from the election board comes shortly after Trump visited Wilmington, North Carolina, and suggested that voters cast mail-in ballots and then follow up at their polling location to make sure their vote has been counted.
During the visit, Trump was asked by WECT if he was confident in the state’s absentee voting system.
“Well, they’ll go out and they’ll go vote, and they’re going to have to go and check their vote by going to the poll and voting that way,” Trump said. “Because if it tabulates, then they won’t be able to do that. So, let them send it in, and let them go vote, and if the system is as good as they say it is, then obviously they won’t be able to vote. If it isn’t tabulated, they won’t be able to vote. So that’s the way it is. And that’s what they should do.”
He added, “so send it in early, and then go and vote, and if it’s not tabulated, you vote, and the vote is gonna count. You can’t let them take your vote away, these people are playing dirty politics.”
Following Trump’s comments, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany spoke to Fox News, and said “the president is not suggesting anyone do anything unlawful.”
“He said very clearly there, make sure your vote is tabulated and if it is not, then vote,” McEnany said. “Basically, when you get an absentee ballot and you send it in, there are pollbooks and it is recorded that you have in fact voted. If you show up at a polling site, they look at the pollbook and say your votes been counted.”
McEnany added that Trump “wants verification,” and said that Democrats want “a whole new fraudulent system of mail-in voting.”
In addition to the election board in North Carolina, the state’s Attorney General Josh Stein also criticized Trump’s comments in a tweet published on Wednesday.
“Today, President Trump outrageously encouraged NCians to break the law in order to help him sow chaos in our election,” Stein wrote. “Make sure you vote, but do NOT vote twice! I will do everything in my power to make sure the will of the people is upheld in November.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a comment request from Newsweek.
