In a significant move before the likely loss of their veto-proof supermajority in the state Legislature next year, North Carolina Republican lawmakers have voted to strip key powers from the state’s incoming Democratic leaders. The legislation, passed in a swift and contentious process, aims to shift key responsibilities, including those over the state’s election process, away from the governor’s office and into Republican-controlled positions.
One of the most notable provisions of the bill is the transfer of authority over appointments to the State Board of Elections to the state auditor, a position won by Republican Dave Boliek in the Nov. 5 elections. This change comes after years of Republican attempts to gain control over the elections board, which has historically been aligned with the governor’s office. The move marks a strategic effort to gain control over North Carolina’s election oversight, a power that will soon rest with the Democratic governor after Josh Stein defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.
The legislation also proposes changes to the election process, such as shortening the time frame for voters to correct ballot errors and requiring counties to count ballots more quickly. These measures are part of a larger, 131-page bill that also includes hurricane relief funding and addresses a variety of other Republican legislative priorities.
The bill was introduced and passed swiftly, with little public consultation. On Tuesday, the House passed it after just two days of deliberation, despite three Republican members opposing the measure. The Senate followed suit the next day, sending the bill to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk. Cooper, who has criticized the bill as a “power grab,” is expected to veto it, but Republicans, who will lose their supermajority in the Legislature unless a recount changes the outcome of a state House race, will no longer be able to override such vetoes without Democratic support.
Karen Brinson Bell, the executive director of the State Board of Elections, voiced concerns over the bill’s potential to undermine the election process, stating that the legislation had not been discussed with board staff and could “make it impossible for the county boards of elections to adequately ensure every eligible ballot cast is counted.”
Republican Senate leader Phil Berger defended the bill, explaining that the GOP had raised concerns for years about the composition of the election board and its operations under Democratic appointees. “We just decided that it was time for us to go ahead and take action,” Berger said.
Additionally, the legislation would bar the attorney general from taking legal positions contrary to the legislature’s stance, preventing incoming Attorney General Jeff Jackson from refusing to defend laws passed by the legislature, as his predecessor, Stein, did with the state’s abortion law.
The bill also limits the governor’s power in filling judicial vacancies and creating new judicial positions, effectively shifting some of these responsibilities to legislative leaders.
As Republicans prepare to lose their supermajority in the upcoming year, this bill represents their final attempt to cement their influence over key state institutions before the balance of power shifts. With the incoming Democratic leadership, tensions between the legislature and the governor’s office are expected to intensify, as Republicans and Democrats clash over the direction of North Carolina’s government.