Rep. Justin Burr's attempt to change the make up of the Stanly County Board of Elections did not survive the legislative session.

Burr, an Albemarle Republican, stripped a statewide elections bill that had passed the Senate and replaced it with a local bill that directs how appointments would be made for Stanly County boards. It would have required two of the three members of the county elections board be chosen based on which party had the highest percentage of registered voters in the county. Current law requires they be chosen based upon the political party that controls the governor's office.

The legislation would have made Stanly County's board majority Republican while a Democratic governor runs state government.

But after Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina, cried foul, saying the bill opens a "Pandora's Box" for other county boards to follow suit, Burr's bill got rejected by the Senate.

The compromise legislation that emerged Saturday morning jettisoned any language pertaining to the Stanly County election board. It has now passed both chambers, and is now law. Since it is a local bill, it is not subject to a governor's veto.

The state House is scheduled to take up a bill today that could change the political representation of county election boards across the state.
Rep. Justin Burr, an Albemarle Republican, stripped a statewide elections bill that had passed the Senate and replaced it with a local bill that directs how appointments would be made for Stanly County boards. The bill cleared the House elections committee Tuesday.
The bill would require two of the three members of the county elections board be chosen based on which party had the highest percentage of registered voters in the county. Current law requires they be chosen based upon the political party that controls the governor's office.
As a result Stanly County's board would be majority Republican while a Democratic governor runs state government.
Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina, said if the bill becomes law, other counties are likely to follow suit, causing a lack of consistency on election issues.
"It's just opening Pandora's Box," Hall said. "If he succeeds the other counties will be doing it as well."
Since it is a local bill, it would not be subject to a governor's veto, Hall said. If it gets approval in the House, it will then only need concurrence in the Senate.
We're seeking comment from Burr.

Picking up on comments in Saturday's news report on Rusty Carter's affidavit, Bob Hall of Democracy North Carolina is asking the state Board of Elections to fine Carter.

The request: $200,000, which Hall writes to elections officials seems a "modest price to pay."

Hall wrote: "Mr. Carter is in a position to send a positive message about the integrity of elections in our state and the importance of obeying the law. Thousands of political donors in North Carolina are playing by the rules. Out of respect for them, the voters, and the many others served by an honest election system, I urge the State Board to take this action."

The board has a meeting scheduled for Wednesday. (The Carter matter could be brought up under the "other matters" section of the agenda, though it was unclear if that would happen.)

Hall's letter to the state Board of Elections is attached.

— J. Andrew Curliss

Documents:

A campaign finance watchdog group, Democracy North Carolina, filed a
formal complaint in July that asked the state Board of Elections to
conduct open hearings into activities of the campaign of former Gov.
Mike Easley and the state Democratic Party.

The hearings begin Oct. 26. Click below to read the letter.

Documents: