Pension matters.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Scott Alexander and 9 co-sponsors

Repeals the North Carolina Constitution's literacy-test for voter registration; sets referendum for Nov 3, 2026, and aligns voting rules with federal rights.

Public Law 104

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Purpose

SB 14 proposes to remove the voter literacy-test requirement from the North Carolina Constitution. The bill repeals Section 4 of Article VI (the provision that requires a person presenting for registration to be able to read and write any section of the Constitution in English) and submits that amendment to voters for ratification.

Key provisions

Repeal: Deletes Section 4 of Article VI of the North Carolina Constitution (the literacy test registration requirement).

Referendum submission: Requires the proposed constitutional amendment to be placed on the ballot at the statewide general election on November 3, 2026.

Ballot language: Provides the exact question to appear on ballots:

“ FOR / AGAINST — Constitutional amendment to repeal the requirement that every person presenting himself for registration shall be able to read and write any section of the Constitution in the English language.”

Certification and effect:

The State Board of Elections must certify the referendum results.
If a majority of votes cast are in favor, the Secretary of State will enroll the amendment among the permanent records and the repeal becomes effective upon certification.
If a majority votes against it, the amendment has no effect.

Who would be affected

Prospective voters and registrants: The repeal removes an explicit state-constitutional literacy requirement for voter registration.

Election administrators: State and county boards of elections would update registration materials, training, and guidance to reflect the constitutional change once certified.

Legal and civil‑rights context: The change removes an historical provision often associated with discriminatory disenfranchisement (literacy tests were widely used in the past to exclude racial minorities from voting). Removing it aligns the state constitution with modern statutory and federal voting rights norms.

Procedural / timeline notes

Introduced: (per bill information) August 15, 2025.

Current status: Passed first reading.

Public vote required: Amendment appears on the Nov. 3, 2026 statewide general-election ballot; effective if a majority of voters approve and the State Board of Elections certifies the result.

Administrative implementation: Upon certification, State elections officials must incorporate the change into registration procedures and public materials.

Context and likely impacts

Symbolic and legal alignment: The repeal removes an antiquated constitutional provision and aligns state law with contemporary voting rights practice and federal voting-rights principles.

Practical effect: Because federal law and current practice already prohibit literacy tests as a basis for denying registration, the immediate practical effect may be limited; the main outcomes are constitutional modernization and removing legacy language that could be seen as discriminatory.

Bill