North Carolina’s Republican legislators stood up for election integrity on Tuesday and overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a law to strengthen voting security.
Cooper, in the fashion of his party, complained that the law was a “threat to democracy.” What it really did was take control of the state’s voting process away from his Democrats by establishing bipartisan election boards.
These groups will be divided evenly between Democrats and Republicans and have the ability to nullify a state takeover of local elections.
The governor, however, claimed gridlock would be the result and decisions such as certifying results and early voting locations would grind to a halt. This did not sway the GOP supermajority, which has veto-proof control of the state legislature.
Previously the state and county election boards were controlled by the party of the governor.
The Senate approved the override with a 30-19 vote, and the House tally to uphold SB 749 was 72-44. Lawsuits by defeated Democrats are already in the works.
North Carolina Republicans Override Democrat Governor’s Dishonest Veto Of Election Integrity Billshttps://t.co/XFPlEVgbVH
— The Federalist (@FDRLST) October 10, 2023
Last month, Cooper warned that North Carolina Republicans “would be empowered to change the results of an election if they don’t like the winner.”
GOP lawmakers went even further toward establishing election security when they overrode another elections bill that the governor vetoed in September. The measure shortened the amount of time in which an absentee ballot can be received and counted in an election.
It also increased oversight of ballot signatures after Democrats in 2020 and beyond worked to weaken election controls.
State leftists charged that measures to strengthen election security are nothing more than a Republican power grab. They further claimed that the result will be less votes being counted, though they don’t explain how legitimate ballots will be passed over.
GOP state Rep. Grey Mills countered this argument. “The one thing this bill does do is it does improve voting in elections for the entire state. It’s not killing the early voting — we’re improving early voting.”
Republicans through the new law also enhanced the ability to monitor the process through election observers. They will now be permitted to listen to conversations between election workers and voters and note what was discussed.
Across the political landscape, one party stands for voting security and the other for erasing virtually every measure that would guarantee free and fair elections.
