As the new year begins and the NCGA kicks off its legislative long session, here are three things we’re watching for in the world of election law:
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Voter ID: While the NC Supreme Court recently struck down the 2018 voter id law that previously passed the state legislature due to racial discrimination, Senator Phil Berger has promised to introduce a new bill in 2023. Read UNC law professor Gene Nichol’s analysis in the Charlotte Observer.
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Maps: We expect the fights over NC’s gerrymandered legislative maps to continue, both at the state and federal levels. In addition to Moore v. Harper (the case currently before the US Supreme Court that tests NC’s partisan gerrymandering of congressional maps and the so-called “independent state legislature theory”), the NC Supreme Court recently ruled that our state senate maps are also unconstitutional and need to be redrawn. Learn more from the News & Observer.
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Voting Access: Changes to polling locations, limited early voting schedules, restrictive absentee ballot rules, availability of Multipartisan Assistance Teams (MAT) to help disabled and incarcerated voters, and other challenges to voting accessibility could influence future election turnout. We’ll continue to advocate for accessible elections in collaboration with our partners.
We’ll be watching these and other issues and will continue to keep you informed as our election laws evolve and change in the coming year. Stay tuned!
