On Tuesday, the state legislature passed two bills containing a series of changes to North Carolina’s election laws, including shortening the early voting period for primary elections and removing registered voters flagged as ineligible via federal databases.
The House of Representatives voted in favor of changes previously approved by the Senate, which had split the package of election measures into two separate bills: HB958 and HB834.
HB958 passed along party lines with 62 votes in favor and 46 against, while HB834 passed with 74 votes in favor and 35 against, garnering support from 11 Democrats.
Both bills now head to the office of Democratic Governor Josh Stein. He has publicly opposed the election changes pushed by the legislature’s Republican majority, strongly suggesting he may veto them.
“HB 958 makes it harder for people to vote and easier for partisans to throw out votes after the election is over when they don’t like the results.,” Stein wrote on X prior to the final House vote.
Key election changes approved include the following:
- Reducing the early voting period from 17 to 10 days for primary elections, primary runoffs, and special elections.
- Requiring State Auditor Dave Boliek to conduct random post-election audits at his discretion.
- Using federal databases and information from other states to identify deceased individuals and remove them from the voter rolls.
- Removing individuals identified as potential non-citizens via federal databases from the voter rolls.
- Expanding the process for challenging ballots.
- Reducing transparency in campaign finance by allowing more information regarding campaign donors to remain confidential.
- Require a longer waiting period for individuals switching political parties before they can run for office representing their new party.
- Allowing judicial review of decisions made by the State Board of Elections.
Shortly before the final vote on these electoral changes, the Speaker of the House, Republican Destin Hall, ordered the removal from the gallery of a group of people protesting the measure while chanting, “The people united will never be defeated.”
The two bills were sent to the governor’s office. The governor has 10 days to either sign them into law or veto them. If no action is taken, they will become law at the end of that period.
