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House Bill 958, Election Law Changes, appeared to be moving quickly through the General Assembly last year. It featured a host of election reforms, as seen in John Locke Foundation reviews of the original bill and a later amended version. But then it suddenly dropped off the radar. Now it is back, bigger and, mostly,...

This op-ed originally appeared in the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Greensboro News & Record. It is reprinted here with their permission. 2026 has become an unexpectedly fierce mid-decade continuation of America’s ongoing gerrymandering war. North Carolina and Virginia are both battlegrounds in that war, but there is a way they can call a cease-fire on...

The North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) has proposed changes to voter ID rules. I offered a public comment at an SBE hearing on June 9. The prepared text of that comment is below: I am Andy Jackson with the John Locke Foundation. I support both the proposed voter ID rules changes. Many of...

The North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) has proposed changes to the recount process. I offered a public comment at an SBE hearing on June 8. The prepared text of that comment is below: I am Andy Jackson with the John Locke Foundation. I support the proposed rules changes for recounts. The changes to 0106...

The Jackson County Board of Elections (BOE) failed to reach a unanimous agreement on early voting site locations for the 2026 general election. That means the North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) will make that determination by August. There are two competing plans, each with four early voting sites, one fewer than used in...

Entrenched leadership in the North Carolina General Assembly creates a stranglehold on power and limits how well other legislators can serve their constituencies Other states have imposed leadership term limits through various means North Carolina should, at a minimum, impose leadership term limits by statute North Carolina’s General Assembly is unusually strong compared with the...

The General Assembly should repeal or modify a provision in the 2023 budget that exempted legislators from the state public records law. State law should be modified to make clear that local government sub-majority meetings in which public business is discussed must be open to the public. North Carolina needs a transparency amendment added to...

This is the second of a two-part series on proposed election rules changes. Part one covered proposed rules for recounts and voter ID. The North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) has proposed a set of election rules changes. Two of the proposals address absentee voting and voting sites. This post will include summaries of...

This is the first a two-part series on proposed election rules changes. Part two will cover proposed rules for absentee voting and voting sites. The North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) has proposed a set of election rules changes. Two of the proposals cover rules for recounts and photo ID. This post will include...

On May 5, I wrote how the North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct (CJC), as enforced by the Judicial Standards Commission, overly restricts the speech of judges and judicial candidates. That not only limits their free speech rights, but also denies voters the right to hear information they need to evaluate judicial candidates. I proposed...

Judicial elections are important, and voters need information to make correct decisions North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls has faced attempts to silence her speech on public issues  There can be a balance between judicial free speech and protecting the right to due process State Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry, Wilkes) is challenging Justice Anita...

The North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) approved rules for removing non-citizens from voter rolls on a 3-2 party-line vote in April. Part of that process involves matching voter rolls with the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database. While the SBE has long used the SAVE database, the new...

Election administration problems in Anson and New Hanover counties could cost two county election officials their jobs Those problems demonstrate the need for election performance audits While the state auditor already has the authority to conduct performance audits, the rules and procedures for those audits should be established by law Recent reports of election administration...

The literacy test in the North Carolina State Constitution was a tool to disenfranchise black voters Despite that moral stain on the state constitution, previous attempts to remove it have failed The General Assembly should put repealing the literacy test to a vote of the people I recently spoke with a group in western North...

North Carolina county boards of elections completed their official counts in the March 3 primary at their canvass meetings on March 13. In the 26th Senate District Republican primary, Rockingham Sheriff Sam Page finished with a 23-vote lead over North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger (see the graphic of the official final count from the...

Introduction Government agencies need to be open and accountable to citizens. North Carolina government has several entities that support accountability, including the Rules Review Commission, the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, and the Office of the State Auditor. State agencies create rules to guide how they enforce North Carolina law and conduct their work....

Introduction The General Assembly is the most powerful branch of the North Carolina government and the closest to the people, so it should also be accountable and responsive to North Carolina citizens. There are two basic models for what makes a legislature effective. The first is a citizen legislature, where legislators meet part-time and spend...

Introduction American patriot Patrick Henry noted, “The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.” Government touches almost every aspect of our lives, from the food we eat to our children’s education, and the information government officials possess influences their decisions...

The following public comment was made in a public hearing on March 9 on proposed new rules at the North Carolina State Board of Elections, “related to voter roll list maintenance on the basis of non-citizenship.” I am Andy Jackson with the John Locke Foundation. I am speaking largely in support of the proposed rules...

Cover photo: Official photo of 4th District Congresswoman Valerie Foushee. Foushee is in a competitive primary. North Carolina completed early voting on Saturday, February 28. Here are a few early data points from Vote Tracker and Voter Registration Changes. The end of this post will have Vote Tracker presets for some closely watched races. Voter...

Early voting for the March 3 primary continues at a relatively brisk pace. Here are a few early data points from Vote Tracker and Voter Registration Changes. North Carolina drops over 5,000 voter registrations, but that is no reason to panic Every party registration dropped in the week from February 16 to 23, but some...

Early voting for the March 3 primary is underway. Here are a few early data points from Vote Tracker. Note, the numbers in the 2024 link will change as some counties report submitted ballots later. Voting is ahead of the 2022 pace So far, turnout is higher than at a similar point in 2022. That...

The North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) has announced a set of proposed rules for removing non-citizens from voter rolls: The State Board of Elections invites the public to comment on several proposed permanent rules related to voter roll list maintenance on the basis of non-citizenship. The public comment period is open and runs...

Too often, prosecutors take no action against alleged election law violations Current law allows “any registered” voter in a district to petition the superior court in that district to appoint a special prosecutor for alleged campaign finance violations That law should be expanded to cover other alleged election law violations Prosecutors are often reluctant to...