North Carolina Republican lawmakers voted to strip the state’s incoming Democratic governor and attorney general of key powers, passing a sweeping bill before the GOP likely loses their veto-proof supermajority in the Legislature next year.
The legislation would grant the authority to appoint members to the state’s election board, which oversees the voting process in North Carolina, to the state auditor, an office that will be held by Republican Dave Boliek after he defeated incumbent Democrat Jessica Holmes in the Nov. 5 election.
That power currently lies with the governor’s office, which will remain in Democratic hands after Attorney General Josh Stein defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. Republicans have long sought control of the state Board of Elections, which is historically controlled by the same party as the current governor, but their past efforts have been foiled by the courts.
The legislation would also shortening the time given to voters to fix ballot errors and requires counties to more rapidly count ballots.
The changes are just part of a massive, 131-page bill that includes hurricane relief funding and advances a spate of other Republican legislative priorities. The law was written behind closed doors and introduced as a committee substitute Tuesday morning, replacing a long-discarded bill about dental practices.
The legislation was passed by both GOP-controlled chambers over the course of just two days, though three Republicans opposed the measure in the House on Tuesday. After the Senate passed the bill on Wednesday, it now heads to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk.
“State Board staff were not consulted about this significant piece of legislation that transfers authority of the State Board of Elections and makes substantial administrative changes that may make it impossible for the county boards of elections to adequately ensure every eligible ballot cast is counted, especially in high turnout elections,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the state Board of Elections.
The bill also proposes prohibiting the attorney general, an office Democrats also maintained control of in this month’s election, from taking legal positions contrary to those of the state legislature. That would prevent the state’s incoming attorney general, Jeff Jackson, from refusing to defend laws the legislature has passed, as the Stein did with the state’s new abortion law last year.
The new bill also strips the governor of some of his power in filling judicial vacancies and creating new superior court positions nominated by legislative leaders.
Republicans are on track to lose their supermajority in the North Carolina Legislature, pending the result of a recount in a state House race, where the Democratic candidate currently leads in the GOP-held district. That means they would be unable to override any future vetos from Stein without Democratic support.
Stein is succeeding outgoing Cooper, whose administration repeatedly clashed with the Republican-led Legislature in the battleground state.