Advocates for fair elections see major flaws in NC’s latest elections bill
In preparation for the 2024 election, Sen. Ralph Hise has undertaken a laudable effort to bolster public trust in N.C. elections in Senate Bill 747. Some of its notable changes, such as requiring that mail ballots be in-hand by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, have a history of bipartisan support and would expedite unofficial results reporting, a critical component of trust in election results.
Unfortunately, the bill has two major Achilles heels: no additional funding to make its promises of enhanced security a reality and inadequate lead time for election officials to implement the proposed changes.
If adopted, this bill would mandate a slew of new rules and processes for election administrators, requiring time and funding for things like retraining existing staff, purchasing new technology, and updating voter materials. The changes are also set to take effect while state offices are already working hard to implement new voter ID requirements.
This bill requires those who register to vote during early voting to cast provisional ballots, which take longer to process, thus delaying unofficial results reporting. That has been shown to erode trust in elections.
Underfunded elections and a lack of adequate lead time on policy changes are not new or unique. In fact, the lack of financial support from the state has contributed to the nearly 50% turnover of county election directors since 2019, leaving the high-turnout 2024 presidential election and implementation of SB 747 in the hands of brand-new election officials.
When resources are spread thin, small glitches and mistakes become more likely and can compound into major problems. If legislators don’t allocate additional funding, the very changes meant to improve election security in SB 747 will exacerbate existing challenges and increase the risk of errors.
