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NC House Republicans Complete Overrides Of Two Election Bills

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Mecklenburg County now has new electoral districts for superior and district court judges, after the House completed an override of Governor Roy Cooper’s veto Wednesday. The measure redraws superior court election districts to address population imbalances in the previous districts that Republican lawmakers call unconstitutional. District court judges will no longer be elected countywide.
Republican lawmakers argued the new maps are long overdue.  

“It is highly unreasonable to have an increase in population of 600,000 people since the last time the Mecklenburg County districts were drawn and to think at some point we shouldn’t redraw the maps," said Republican Representative Scott Stone of Mecklenburg County.

Democratic lawmakers called the changes political and argued eliminating countywide voting for district court seats will help Republican judges win more seats. The bill also eliminates countywide voting for district court seats in Wake County.  

The other bill the House completed an override of Wednesday prevents the new Green and Constitution parties from nominating for the fall general election any candidate who lost in a May primary race for the same office. The bill also requirs background checks and additional security for elections-related equipment, among several other provisions.
 
“Overriding this veto is the only choice we have to protect our ballot boxes from foreign and domestic hacking threats this year. If this doesn’t get done, you are leaving our ballot boxes exposed," said Republican Representative David Lewis of Harnett County.

Cooper’s opposition to the bill focused on a provision directing election officials to place the political affiliation of each judicial candidate next to their names on November’s ballot. State law already makes elections for trial and appellate court races partisan affairs.

 

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