Articles
Legislative Gutting of Public Records Law Can — and Should — Be Fixed
Legislators added a provision to the state budget that would make them functionally exempt from public records lawGovernment transparency is a defense against corruption and misfeasanceThe General Assembly should narrow the language of the public records exemption and consider amending the North Carolina Constitution to require more transparency The North Carolina General Assembly finally passed...
Criteria Recommendations for North Carolina Congressional Maps
Though North Carolina passed its newest budget last week, the legislature will still be busy this week. The legislature still must draw new congressional and legislative maps following the North Carolina Supreme Court’s reversal in the Harper v. Moore Case earlier this year. The legislature’s joint redistricting committee is having meetings this week at three...
State Budget Includes Several Good Election Reforms
I wrote last April about how the proposed state budget includes several good election policies, even if not all of them belong in a budget bill. I evaluated those reforms on two criteria: are they good public policy and do they belong in the budget? Here are the results: 1. SBE/USE OF HELP AMERICA VOTE...
Anita Earls’ Lawsuit Against the Judicial Standards Commission Should Spark Changes
North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls is suing the state’s Judicial Standards Commission to make them end investigations into some of her public statementsThe lawsuit is based purely on a freedom of speech claim, with no claim of racial or sexual discriminationIt is time to reform the limits on judicial speech, both for the...
Allison Riggs Will Likely Have a Short and Unhappy Tenure on the Court of Appeals Supreme Court
Gov. Roy Cooper announced on September 11 that he is appointing Allison Riggs to fill the remaining term of North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Michael Morgan, who announced his retirement in late August. When Cooper appointed Allison Riggs to an open seat on the North Carolina Court of Appeals last year, I wrote that her...
How Much Would the Senate Elections Bill Impact the Administration of Elections?
North Carolina’s election reform bill, Senate Bill 747, would require the state and county boards of elections to provide more information on elections and increase the frequency of list maintenanceThe bill also would require the State Board of Elections to inform voters about voter ID requirements and other modifications to election law that would impact...
The Sheriff vs. the Auditor: Who’s Right, and Why It Matters for Individual Liberty
The Cumberland County sheriff has sued the Office of the State Auditor over its investigation of his officeDespite the sheriff’s claims, county agencies are subject to state oversightState oversight of local governments helps preserve individual liberty State Auditor Beth Wood’s office has been investigating the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff, Ennis Wright, responded by...
Changes Make a Good Elections Bill Even Better
The North Carolina House Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform will hold a hearing on Senate Bill 747, An Act to Make Various Changes Regarding Elections Law, later today (August 15). What Was in the Senate Version of the Bill? Jim Stirling and I gave a short review of S747, at least as short as...
North Carolina’s Rules for Candidates Transferring Campaign Funds from Federal to State-Level Races
Republican congressman Dan Bishop has formally announced that he will not be running for congressional office again, instead choosing to run for the open North Carolina Attorney General seat in 2024. With Bishop moving from a federal back to a state-level race, does that mean he can move his congressional war chest of $1.4 million...
No Labels Party Recognition Delay Fits Pattern of Partisanship
A new political party may be on North Carolinians’ ballots in 2024. But the Democratic Party-controlled North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) has delayed approving their petition. It fits a national pattern of Democrats seeking to deny voters that choice on their 2024 ballot. What is “No Labels” No Labels is a centrist organization...
Josh Stein Misled Media On In-State Finances
North Carolina Gubernatorial Candidate Josh Stein misled the media last month on his donations to his campaign, misattributing roughly $1 million in out-of-state funding as in-state. Prior to submitting his report to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, Josh Stein’s campaign produced a press release claiming that, out of the $6 million he raised...
Josh Stein Mislead Media On In-State Finances
North Carolina Gubernatorial Candidate Josh Stein misled the media last month on his donations to his campaign, misattributing roughly $1 million in out-of-state funding as in-state. Prior to submitting his report to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, Josh Stein’s campaign produced a press release claiming that, out of the $6 million he raised...
2023 Mid-Year Campaign Finances: North Carolina Statewide Candidates
North Carolina State Board of Elections campaign finance reports covering the first half of 2023 were due on July 28th, covering the first half of 2023. National groups are watching North Carolina as a battleground state for the next presidential election. With that perception, we have already started seeing money bleed into our statewide races....
How Much Would SB 747 Impact Electioneering Groups?
North Carolina’s election reform bill, Senate Bill 747, would prevent “Zuck bucks” from being used to influence electionsThe bill aims to prevent unlawful influencing of voters by tracking who assists in marking ballotsIt would make it illegal to barcode ballots and would reduce electioneering organizations’ ability to chase down absentee ballots Previously I had discussed...
WRAL Discovers Strange New Beasts Called “Election Observers”
There have been some complaints about several election reform bills being considered in the General Assembly, including a bill on election observers. A Bill Clarifying What Election Observers Can and Cannot Do I recently noted how a bill in the General Assembly, House Bill 772, would help clarify what election observers can and cannot do...
2023 Mid-Year Campaign Finances: North Carolina Congressional Candidates
Saturday, July 15th, marked the due date for the latest federal campaign finance reports for those seeking office in 2024. Though neither of North Carolina’s senate seats are up for election next year, national eyes will still be glued to North Carolina. This is partly due to North Carolina’s position as a pivotal swing state...
Bill Delivers Much-Needed Clarity on Election Observers
The North Carolina State Board of Elections has tried to illegally restrict election observers several times recentlyVagueness both in state law and in regulations increases the potential for conflict between election observers and poll workersHouse Bill 772 would clarify what election observers may or may not do at election sites Observers are an essential part...
North Carolina Should Declare Its Independence from Touchscreen Voting
Below is a copy of my public comment submitted to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) on July 1, calling on them not to certify the ExpressVote 4.2.1.0 ballot marking device. The SBE is taking public comments on certifying ExpressVote and other systems from ES&S through July 5 at 1:00 PM. Click here...
SB 749: The Good and Bad of North Carolina’s proposed board of elections changes
Senate Bill 749, “No Partisan Advantage in Elections,” passed along party lines in the North Carolina Senate and now moves on to the state House. As the bill’s name implies, SB 749 changes the composition of the state board of elections and county boards from favoring the governor and his political party to an even...
How Much Would the Senate Elections Bill Actually Impact Voters?
The proposed changes to mail-in voting would have minimal impact — in 2022, 99.8% of all ballots were in by election dayThe impact of the bill’s changes to same-day voter registration simply requires one additional form of ID and provides multiple ballot cure processes for voters prior to the official county canvassThe bill would add...
House Will Likely Join Senate in Batting Down Compelled Speech Veto
Here are some questions: Should government agencies train employees to believe that one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex? Should those agencies tell employees that an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex? Should agencies teach their...
Alabama Racial Gerrymandering Case Will Likely Have Little Impact on North Carolina
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Alabama’s congressional map was a racial gerrymanderThe totality of several racial gerrymandering cases creates a safe harbor between violating the Voting Rights Act and unconstitutionally using race to draw congressional districtsSince the General Assembly has already shown they can draw VRA-compliant districts without using racial data, the Alabama ruling...
Public Statements on Two Election Reform Bills
I offered public comments on two election reform bills before the North Carolina Senate Redistricting and Elections Committee on June 14. My prepared comments (which assumed a two-minute speaking time per bill) are below. SB 747: Elections Law Changes I am speaking in support of SB 747. The bill has a host of election reforms....
State Board of Elections Wants Funds to Update Aging Computer Systems
The North Carolina State Board of Elections uses two computer systems to manage data such as campaign fiance reports, voter registration, and election countsThe Board has asked the General Assembly for $13.6 million to upgrade those systemsUpgrading those systems would provide for more efficient and secure elections administration The North Carolina State Board of Elections...
