STANLY COUNTY, N.C. — The North Carolina State Board of Elections and Stanly County Board of Elections are asking questions after a voter said someone changed her party affiliation - and other personal information - without her approval.
As a result, Stephanie Smith said she had to fill out a provisional ballot on Super Tuesday. Otherwise, she would've been required to vote in the Democratic Primary, even though Smith said she's not a Democrat.
Ahead of Election Day, Smith said she went to the state's website to confirm her precinct and quickly noticed her party affiliation was listed as Democrat. She said she did not notice the error on her registration card, because she recently moved and was preoccupied.
"I'm always registered as unaffiliated or an independent voter," Smith told WCNC Charlotte. "When I saw that I was a registered Democrat, I was very confused."
Smith said upon discovering the issue, she immediately went to the election office, afraid it might be the result of a clerical error.
"Do I get to vote? How does this work? How do I fix this?" she said of the questions running through her mind at the time. "Was my choice taken from me essentially was my biggest fear."
She said her fears only grew when workers printed out the last voter registration form they received from the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, the agency Smith said she registered through in 2023 when she secured her new driver's license. Not only did she see someone else's signature on the NCDMV form, she noticed the wrong place of birth listed and a submission date several days before the state issued her new license.
RELATED: South Carolina opens second round of school safety grants after few districts received money
"I have no idea who that is," Smith said of the mystery signature on the voter registration application. "Somebody's messing with something that I can't see and I don't like it, because I should have full control over what that information states."
Stanly County Director of Elections Kimberly Blackwelder said someone citing the incorrect party as a reason for a provisional ballot is not a common complaint.
"I can confirm that the staff and myself spoke with Stephanie at length regarding her voter registration record," Blackwelder said. "We informed her of the option to vote a provisional ballot, and she provided our office with documentation to assist us in researching her record during the canvass period. The provisional process is very important in situations where the voter's information or eligibility is in question."
There are multiple allowable instances where voters can vote by provisional ballot.
Blackwelder added all information gathered by her office and NCSBE will be presented to the Stanly County Board of Elections at a provisional ballot meeting scheduled for March 14 at 3 p.m. She said, at that time, the board will determine if further action is required.
NCSBE Public Information Director Patrick Gannon said staff members have reached out to NCDMV and "will provide additional information as soon as possible."
Smith said she used her provisional ballot to vote in the Republican Primary. She said she's since alerted criminal investigators as well, unsure if this was the result of a mistake or something more sinister.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative leaning research and educational organization, has documented limited proven instances of election fraud in North Carolina and across the country in recent years.
Contact Nate Morabito at nmorabito@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.