@NCCapitol

Elections boards: Crowell v. NC

An elections attorney argues that the requirement that members of the Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement and county elections boards be registered Democrats or Republicans discriminates against the growing number of unaffiliated voters in North Carolina.

Posted 2017-06-08T20:31:03+00:00 - Updated 2018-01-12T20:45:41+00:00

The State Board of Elections voted Saturday to dismiss the election protest of Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr. of Bladen County,which called into question the validity of hundreds of absentee ballots. Board Member Joshua Malcolm made the motion, saying there was not substantial evidence of violation of elections laws.

Case name: Michael Crowell v. State of North Carolina et al

What it's about: Membership on state and county elections boards

Track the status of high-profile lawsuits over elections, governor's powers and more

State or federal court: Federal, Middle District of North Carolina.

Summary: The lawsuit argues that the requirement that members of the Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement and county elections boards be registered Democrats or Republicans discriminates against the growing number of unaffiliated voters in North Carolina.

In the real world: After a three-judge panel dismissed Gov. Roy Cooper's challenge to the merger of the State Board of Elections and the State Ethics Commission, no members have been named to the new eight-person state board – and consequently to the four-person boards in each of the 100 counties.

Where it stands: The elections board has asked that the suit be dismissed, but no ruling has been issued.