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Director updates: Wake County ruling in contested ballot case and two House bills introduced affecting voting procedures
Summary
The board heard a briefing on ongoing litigation related to the North Carolina Supreme Court seat 6 contest and was informed of two recently introduced House bills: one (HB66) proposing to shorten early voting, and one (HB127) to authorize a sample voter-registration form for organized drives.
At its Feb. 18 meeting, the Rockingham County Board of Elections received a director’s briefing on ongoing litigation surrounding the contested North Carolina Supreme Court seat 6 and on two new bills introduced in the state House that would change certain election procedures.
Paula (Director, Rockingham County Board of Elections) told the board that a Wake County Superior Court judge ruled against Jefferson Griffin’s effort to discard more than 65,000 ballots; Griffin filed a notice of appeal with the North Carolina Court of Appeals. The director said the case has moved through Wake County courts and that further proceedings are possible; specific dates and procedural steps beyond the notice of appeal were not specified in the meeting transcript.
Paula also briefed the board on two bills recently introduced in the state House. House Bill 66 (introduced Feb. 5) would, if enacted, reduce the early voting period so that it would begin on the second Monday before elections and run through the following Saturday (a six-day early voting window). The bill remained in the House with no further action reported as of the director’s check the prior day.
The director said House Bill 127 (introduced Feb. 5) would require the State Board of Elections to develop a sample voter registration form for use by organized voter-registration drives. The sample form would include a disclaimer that it is not an official registration application form for voting purposes; the director said the sample could not be accepted as a regular registration application.
Board members asked procedural and policy questions about the bills during the update; several members characterized HB127 as potentially confusing for voters because it would insert an extra step before the official registration application. No board action was taken on the bills at the meeting; the briefing was informational.
Ending: The board scheduled a closed session later in the meeting under state statute for personnel matters and then adjourned.
