Current:Home > BackNorth Carolina trial judges block election board changes made by Republican legislature-LoTradeCoin
North Carolina trial judges block election board changes made by Republican legislature
View Date:2024-12-24 10:20:34
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina trial judges on Thursday blocked portions of a new law that would transfer Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s authority to pick election board members to the Republican-dominated General Assembly.
Following a 90-minute hearing, the three state judges agreed unanimously to issue a preliminary injunction sought by Cooper. His lawyers argued that the alterations to the State Board of Elections and county boards in all 100 counties need to be stopped now or his directive in the state constitution to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed” will be harmed irreparably.
The Republican legislative leaders whom Cooper has sued can appeal the decision to the state Court of Appeals. The outcome of the injunction request and Cooper’s broader litigation on the law, which was enacted just last month, could affect how the 2024 elections are administered in the ninth-largest U.S. state, where races for president and governor are likely to be closely contested. The changes would take effect on Jan. 1.
The state elections board currently comprises five members appointed by the governor — a format that goes back to 1901. The governor’s party always holds three of the seats.
The new law, which went into effect after Republican lawmakers overrode Cooper’s veto, would increase the board to eight members appointed by the General Assembly based on the recommendations of top legislative leaders from both parties. This would likely create a 4-4 split among Democrats and Republicans.
For several years, Republicans have pushed unsuccessfully to alter the composition of the board: They’ve been thwarted both by court rulings and a constitutional amendment that voters rejected in 2018.
GOP leaders say this measure is different, however, and will promote bipartisan election administration and consensus. Cooper and his allies have countered that the changes are a GOP power grab that will lead to board impasses that could erode early voting access and send outcomes of contested elections to the courts or the General Assembly to settle.
Superior Court Judges Lori Hamilton and Andrew Womble — both Republicans — and Edwin Wilson, a Democrat, didn’t give a reason in court for issuing the injunction. But Hamilton suggested during questioning that allowing the law to be carried out on Jan. 1 — only to have it be possibly struck down later — could cause confusion and disarray in a presidential election year.
veryGood! (28196)
Related
- Businesses at struggling corner where George Floyd was killed sue Minneapolis
- Rep. Nancy Mace's former chief of staff files to run against her in South Carolina
- Michigan case offers an example of how public trust suffers when police officers lie
- U.S. pauses build-out of natural gas export terminals to weigh climate impacts
- Advance Auto Parts is closing hundreds of stores in an effort to turn its business around
- Who was St. Brigid and why is she inspiring many 1,500 years after her death?
- South Carolina deputy fatally shoots man after disturbance call
- How Bianca Belair breaks barriers, honors 'main purpose' as WWE 2K24 cover star
- 2 Florida women charged after shooting death of photographer is livestreamed
- Russia marks 80 years since breaking the Nazi siege of Leningrad
Ranking
- Chet Holmgren injury update: Oklahoma City Thunder star suffers hip fracture
- French farmers vow to continue protesting despite the government’s offer of concessions
- Selena Gomez and Her Wizards of Waverly Place Family Have a Sweet Cast Reunion
- 2 masked assailants attach a church in Istanbul and kill 1 person
- Gerry Faust, the former head football coach at Notre Dame, has died at 89
- Appeals court reinstates sales ban on Apple Watch models with blood oxygen monitor
- Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas seeks CAS ruling to allow her to compete
- U.S. pauses build-out of natural gas export terminals to weigh climate impacts
Recommendation
-
Man gets a life sentence in the shotgun death of a New Mexico police officer
-
Remembering the horrors of Auschwitz, German chancellor warns of antisemitism, threats to democracy
-
FAFSA freaking you out? It's usually the best choice, but other financial aid options exist
-
Most Americans feel they pay too much in taxes, AP-NORC poll finds
-
How Jersey Shore's Sammi Sweetheart Giancola's Fiancé Justin May Supports Her on IVF Journey
-
Haus Labs Review: How Lady Gaga's TikTok-Viral Foundation, Lip Lacquers and More Products Hold Up
-
What is UNRWA, the main aid provider in Gaza that Israel accuses of militant links?
-
How Taiwan beat back disinformation and preserved the integrity of its election