RALEIGH – On Thursday, the NC House Committee on Election Law rushed through approval of a new version of House Bill 958 that would make significant changes to voting and elections in North Carolina.

The measure was first revealed on Wednesday night and taken up by the committee on Thursday morning. It was approved in a needlessly hasty meeting that lasted just 30 minutes with limited discussion and without allowing public comment.

Having been approved in the committee, it is uncertain when the bill will be taken up by the full NC House of Representatives for consideration.

The following is a statement from Ann Webb, Policy Director with Common Cause North Carolina:

“Today, leadership of the NC House Elections Committee failed the people of North Carolina. The surprise version of House Bill 958 was unveiled just hours before the committee met. This morning, committee leaders rushed through approval of the bill in just 30 minutes, over the objections of committee members and without meaningful debate or allowing any comments from the public.

The bill contains a number of troubling changes, including a provision that could inject political favoritism into staffing decisions at the State Board of Elections, undermining the impartiality and professionalism of that agency.

Meanwhile, the measure would outrageously ban election board members from simply encouraging North Carolinians to exercise their freedom to vote – a violation of free speech and a betrayal of the important role of election boards in helping voters cast their ballot.

The proposal would reduce transparency in elections by weakening reporting requirements for campaign donations. And it would implement new requirements on military and overseas voters.

These are significant changes that demand robust discussion and public input. Unfortunately, none of that was allowed to happen today. The people of North Carolina deserve much better from our legislature.”

Common Cause NC is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.