Burke lawmaker at center of fight over vetoed North Carolina election bill

A Burke County lawmaker is in the middle of a statewide fight over voting rules after Gov. Josh Stein vetoed a Republican-backed election-law bill that supporters call practical reform and opponents call a threat to voting rights.

Stein, a Democrat, vetoed House Bill 958 on Monday, saying the bill would undermine the right to vote. The bill would make several changes to North Carolina election law, including reducing early voting periods during primaries and special elections.

The bill would require state Auditor Dave Boliek to conduct post-election audits of county election systems and using federal databases to help identify people who may have died but remain on voter rolls.

Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke, chairs the North Carolina House Election Law Committee and says House Republicans plan to try to override Stein’s veto.

The House Election Law Committee is a standing legislative committee of the North Carolina General Assembly.

It reviews, drafts, and handles state legislation concerning voting regulations, campaign procedures, and election administration. As chairman, Blackwell has a direct role in shaping election-law proposals that affect voters across the state, including in Burke County.

Blackwell defended House Bill 958, saying it continues practical election reforms intended to give voters confidence that lawful votes are counted fairly and accurately.

He also criticized Stein’s veto, saying the governor was putting politics ahead of common sense and voter peace of mind.

The bill passed both chambers with Republican support. NC Newsline reported that only Republicans voted for the bill in the House, where it passed 62-47 on Aug. 4.

The most visible change for voters would be that early voting would be shorter for primaries and special elections, though not for regular November general elections, based on the reported provisions.

The bill also fits into a larger fight over who controls North Carolina’s election system.

Republican lawmakers previously shifted control of the State Board of Elections to the state auditor’s office, now held by a Republican. Stein and former Gov. Roy Cooper challenged that move in court, arguing it violated separation-of-powers protections.

Democratic leaders used Stein’s veto event to accuse Republicans of trying to protect political power by changing election rules.

House Democratic Leader Robert Reives, D-Chatham, said the bill passed along party lines because it benefits one party. Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch, D-Wake, linked the bill to earlier Republican efforts to shift election-board authority away from the governor.

Republicans reject that criticism and describe the bill as an election-integrity measure.

Republicans have enough votes in the Senate to override a veto along party lines, but they do not have an automatic three-fifths supermajority in the House.

Republican legislative leaders have said they do not expect to take additional votes this year until after the November election.

The next action would come in the General Assembly, likely after the November election, if House Republican leaders bring the veto override to a vote.

— AVN