North Carolina Republicans are acting swiftly to pass measures that would restrict Governor-elect Josh Stein’s influence over elections after likely losing their supermajority in the state House. While Republicans will continue to control both the state House and Senate, the party is now one seat shy of a veto-proof majority, which would allow Stein to exert greater power over election-related decisions.
The new legislation passed by both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly seeks to reduce the governor’s control over the state’s elections. It would transfer the authority to appoint members of the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) from the governor’s office to the state auditor, currently Republican Dave Boliek.
🚨 #BREAKING: North Carolina Republicans just passed a new law taking away power from the incoming Democratic governor that would allow him authority over the State Elections Board – NBC
They also just shortened how long voters have to "fix" mail-in ballot errors and increased… pic.twitter.com/3ZXde28OOB
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 22, 2024
Jim Womack, president of the North Carolina Election Integrity Team, praised the bill as a way to increase transparency and security in elections. “This puts the auditor in a good position to conduct an audit of our elections for the first time in history,” Womack said. “That should encourage voters.”
While the NCSBE would remain an independent agency, the bill would place budgeting and appointments under the jurisdiction of the state auditor’s office, giving Republicans greater influence over election administration. The bill would also shift the composition of the board from a Democratic majority to a 3-2 Republican majority.
North Carolina State House Passes Bill Limiting Democrat Governor’s Emergency Powers https://t.co/kH94F40nE3 pic.twitter.com/Gti7E5qBUZ
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) March 31, 2021
The proposed changes to absentee voting, which have sparked some controversy, include reducing the time for voters to correct issues with absentee ballots. Currently, voters who fail to sign their ballots or provide witness addresses can fix the problem up to a week after Election Day. The new law would reduce this time to just two and a half days.
These changes come after the state’s Supreme Court race, where absentee and provisional ballots caused a shift in the election outcome. The law would also impose stricter deadlines for counting absentee and provisional ballots, mandating that absentee votes be counted on Election Night and setting a three-day window for provisional ballots.
The bill is expected to be vetoed by Governor Cooper, but Republicans are poised to override the veto in early December, marking one of the final acts of their supermajority in the General Assembly.
