'Dire threat': NC GOP reverse Dem gov’s veto on law set to 'doom' future elections

North Carolina GOP lawmakers voted Tuesday to override Democratic Governor Roy Cooper's veto on a bill that could empower Republicans "to change the results of an election if they don't like the winner," The Washington Post reports.

Per the Post, "Tuesday's override sets the stage for the bill to go into effect starting Jan. 1. Lawsuits are expected, but the makeup of the North Carolina Supreme Court has shifted since it issued its 4-3 decision in 2018 striking down changes to the state elections board."

The report notes, "The legislation creates bipartisan boards that could deadlock on establishing early voting locations or certifying results in a state that may prove crucial in next year's presidential election," and it's also expected to weaken "the governor's ability to oversee elections and other state regulatory bodies," according to The Associated Press.

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The GOP lawmakers, according to the report, argue "the bill helps guarantee elections will be run fairly by establishing bipartisan elections boards that will take politics out of the process," but North Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Anderson Clayton says "the measure represented a 'dire threat' that would limit voting options on college campuses and in large cities."

She added, "That will create long lines that will deter some voters. No one wants to wait in a line to go vote. It's not something that is really encouraging people that a process is working and that something is effective."

Other "Democrats and election experts warn the changes risk creating dysfunction in 2024, with Gov. Roy Cooper saying they 'could doom our state's elections to gridlock and severely limit early voting.'"

The Postreports:

Republicans have tried for years to remake the state elections board but came up against obstacles, including court decisions and a rejection from voters. Their three-fifths majorities in the state legislature now give them the power to override vetoes, which they did in the state Senate on Tuesday with a 30-19 vote and in the House with a 72-44 vote. Litigation is all but certain to follow.

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Western Carolina political science professor Christopher Cooper — who has no relation to the governor — said "voters in North Carolina will see a new election landscape next year because of decisions made in recent months. They will have new legislative and congressional districts, a new voter ID law, new timelines for voting by mail and, in some locations, new early voting sites."

The Post also notes:

In addition to the law governing election boards, Republican lawmakers were poised Tuesday to override the veto of a bill that ends an extended deadline for submitting absentee ballots and empowers partisan poll watchers. Republicans have the power to override vetoes because they locked in three-fifths majorities in April when state Rep. Tricia Cotham dropped her Democratic affiliation and became a Republican.

Per The Associated Press, "Cooper and his allies contend the election legislation is an attack on voting that will give Republicans the upper hand on close results."

The Washington Post's full report is available at this link (subscription required). The Associated Press' report is here.