South Raleigh News

Governor Roy Cooper and Governor-elect Josh Stein have filed a lawsuit against Republican legislative leaders, challenging recent changes to the State Board of Elections and county boards of elections. They argue that these changes violate the separation of powers as outlined in the North Carolina Constitution.

Governor Cooper stated, "We have had the same structure for our state board of elections for nearly a century and it has served North Carolina well, with fair and secure elections across our state through every cycle." He further criticized the changes as "blatantly partisan efforts to give control over elections boards to a newly elected Republican," which he believes will erode trust in the electoral process.

Governor-elect Josh Stein echoed these sentiments, saying, "In recent years, these legislative leaders have repeatedly tried and failed to seize control of the State Board of Elections for their own partisan gain. This latest move insults the voters who rejected their power grab, violates our constitution, and must not stand."

The alterations were part of Senate Bill 382, passed along party lines in December despite Governor Cooper's veto. The bill proposes transferring all appointments to the State Board of Elections from the Governor to the newly elected Republican State Auditor. It also seeks to shift the authority to appoint chairs of each county board of elections from the Governor to the State Auditor.

This lawsuit is seen as a continuation of an eight-year effort by Republican legislators to remove election administration from gubernatorial control. Previous attempts have been struck down by courts or directly rejected by North Carolina voters in 2018. The lawsuit claims that this legislation "will undermine confidence in elections, and it contravenes the democratic principles on which our state government rests."