In recent years, there’s been a lot of talk about a need to make sure that dead people don’t vote – and, apparently, the North Carolina Republican Party is attempting to investigate very deeply into that concern in the upcoming election.

The legal counsel for the state’s Republican party has made a public records request to the Guilford County Register of Deeds Office and the deeds offices in all 99 other counties – which requests the death records from Friday, Sept. 9 through 10 days after the Tuesday, Nov. 8 election.

In addition, the Republican Party’s request includes records of any correspondence to or from local and state elections officials regarding those death records.

In recent years, many Republicans have expressed concerns that current election safeguards don’t do enough to prevent people from casting illegal votes in the name of those who are deceased.

The request to Guilford County, from Phillip Thomas, chief counsel for the NC Republican Party, reads: “Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 132-6, I respectfully request the opportunity to inspect and obtain copies of the following public records:  1. All death certificates which have been, or which are received by your office, between the dates of September 9, 2022, and November 18, 2. All correspondence, including any attachments, which have been, or which are sent by your office to any of the following entities, where such correspondence contains Relevant Death Certificates, or relates to same: a. North Carolina State Board of Elections, b. Any North Carolina County Board of Elections, or c. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.”

The GOP’s legal counsel added that this is a “rolling” request and “therefore your responses should be promptly supplemented as additional Requested Records are received and/or generated by your office.”

He also stated he wished to be informed if the cost of fulfilling the request would exceed $25.

Thomas also asks that he be informed if the county expects a significant delay in responding to and fulfilling this request,

The request also includes, “Please contact me with information about when I might expect the copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.”

A follow-up letter from the Republican Party’s legal counsel to the Guilford County Register of Deeds office confirmed that a similar request had been sent to all 100 Registers of Deeds offices across the state.