Local election officials say proposed NC election changes would be 'disruptive'

A bipartisan group of county election board members said in a letter to lawmakers that proposals to change state elections laws would have a negative impact on election integrity and public confidence.

"Some of the current proposals, if implemented, may have unintended consequences that can harm rather than protect the integrity of our elections," the letter from the Election Boards Association of North Carolina said. It encouraged lawmakers to consult their local election administrators before moving forward with the bills.

The letter was sent to all North Carolina state lawmakers this week. It was signed by 32 county election board members from around the state, evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. That number includes the group's bipartisan executive leadership and 25 of the longest-serving county election board members in the state.

The chairman of the association, Johnston County Republican John Shallcroft, signed the letter. He declined to comment but verified the letter's authenticity.

The group expresses concerns with Senate Bill 747 and Senate Bill 749, which are awaiting consideration by the state House after passing the Senate along party lines in June.

It also addresses House Bill 772, a proposal to expand poll observers. It has not yet reached the House floor, but its contents could be amended into one of the Senate bills. House Bill 772 would allow up to 12 observers in a polling place, authorizing them to move around and record audio and video. Any election official who restricts their access would be guilty of a misdemeanor.

"We encourage you to contact your county election staff about the consequences of that provision for recruiting poll workers," the letter says. "That level of activity would be disruptive, impossible to supervise, and increase rather than reduce voters’ concerns about secure and secret balloting."

Senate Bill 747 would, among other changes, require more same-day registrants to use provisional ballots, and require signature matching on absentee mail-in ballots. The group warns that these two changes will add significant time and cost to the election process.

Senate Bill 749, a sweeping overhaul of the election board system across the state, would give authority to county commissioners, instead of county elections boards, to choose the county's election director.

"Rather than the staff director being hired by county commissioners (whose election the staff must administer)," the letter points out, "we suggest it’s better for the county board of elections to hire the director we supervise."

County election board members are nominated by their parties and appointed by the governor. Many serve multiple terms. One of the letter's signers, Democrat William Newsome of Martin County, has served since 1988.

The letter also asks lawmakers for more funding to pay support staff and upgrade the state's aging election software system SEIMS.

Asked for comment, Senate Leader Phil Berger spokeswoman Lauren Horsch said House and Senate leaders have agreed to include funding for the software upgrade in the budget, which is currently stalled in negotiations.

As for the other concerns in the letter, Horsch said bill sponsors had discussions with Democrats that led to changes of Senate Bill 747. She said GOP leaders "welcome feedback from elections officials across the state."

Democrats didn't propose amendments to Senate Bill 749. Democratic leadership opposed the bill in its entirety.