North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein vetoed restrictive election bill

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein fulfilled his promise to veto an election bill that did not receive a single vote from a Democrat nor unaffiliated candidate from the state’s House. 

Source: Wikipedia

“The General Assembly wants to make it harder for people to vote and easier to throw out votes they don’t like after Election Day,”

Stein said in a statement when he vetoed House Bill 958 on Monday, Aug. 17. 

“I am vetoing this anti-voter legislation, and I urge North Carolinians to call their legislators to ask them to uphold my veto. In our democracy, political power rests with you – the people. I intend to keep it that way.” 

The polarizing HB 958 passed Aug. 4 by 62-47, with all Republicans voting for it. Voting against it were all Democrats plus one unaffiliated representative; another unaffiliated representative abstained. The bill went on the governor’s desk later in the week.

"The NC legislature is attempting to prevent candidates from running who haven't earned the royal assent of the party at least a year in advance." said Dan Johnson, North Carolina resident and Ballots Without Barriers' Director of Growth. "If you're a member of a party, and the party says you can run, you should be able to run. The state should have no say in how long you have to wait. If the parties want to be more restrictive, that's on them. The government should have no say."

Features of the bill include:

• Shortening early voting in primaries from 17 to 10 days. Republicans say turnout does not justify cost; Democrats say it will disenfranchise voters.

  
  

• Extending ability of candidates to challenge mail-in and early-voting ballots to 3 days after the election. This could be an issue if a federal database falsely says they’re deceased. Democrats also cited a lack of built-in due process for challenges.

  
  

• Requiring the state auditor to lead election audits.  

• Changes candidate eligibility rules, requiring someone seeking a party's nomination to have been affiliated with that party for 365 days instead of 90, unless the party grants a waiver.

• Prohibits paying petition circulators based on the number of signatures they collect. Violations can be a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Overriding the veto would require votes from all Republicans in the House plus one other legislator.

The North Carolina House adjourned Wednesday, Aug. 5 through Election Day on Nov. 3, so even if the veto is overturned, the bill is unlikely to apply to the 2026 midterm election.