Senate Republicans Reintroduce Election Integrity Legislation

Establishes Election Day as the deadline for accepting absentee ballots

Prohibits private donations from being used for election administration

Raleigh, N.C. — Today, Republicans in the Senate filed Senate Bill 747, a bill that will strengthen election laws, increase confidence in election administration, and align North Carolina with 30 other states by establishing Election Day as the firm deadline for accepting absentee ballots.

This is not the first effort made by Republicans in the legislature to address low voter confidence in elections. In 2021, a Cygnal poll found that only 49% of North Carolinians believed the 2022 elections would be “free and fair.” The legislature passed multiple bills addressing those issues. Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed those commonsense bills. More recent polling by Cygnal shows that only 50% of North Carolinians believe our elections will be free and fair, a clear confirmation that voter confidence has not improved.

Senate Bill 747 includes two popular provisions from the vetoed bills. It establishes Election Day as the deadline for accepting absentee ballots, putting North Carolina on equal footing with 30 other states, and it prohibits the North Carolina State Board of Elections, county boards of elections, and county commissioners from accepting private donations for election administration purposes.

“Making Election Day the official deadline removes confusion and skepticism from the minds of voters. It will make for a quicker declaration of winners, it aligns us with 30 other states, and it helps North Carolina move past each election cycle with confidence, instead of doubt,” Senate Redistricting and Elections Committee Chairman Sen. Paul Newton (R-Cabarrus) said.

“The injection of hundreds of millions of private dollars into the U.S. elections was rightfully scrutinized by many Americans. By putting an end to out-of-state billionaires bankrolling the administration of our elections, we will maintain election integrity and steer clear from the very notion of outside influence,” Senate Redistricting and Elections Committee Chairman Sen. Warren Daniel (R-Burke) said.

Senate Bill 747 will also do the following:

• Require the clerk of superior court to notify the NCSBE of individuals disqualified from jury duty because they aren’t U.S. citizens. The NCSBE will review the report and have the county boards of elections eliminate any noncitizens from North Carolina’s voter rolls.
• Permit public inspection of absentee ballots at the weekly county boards of elections meetings authorized through Election Day.
• Increase the period of time that election records are retained and preserved to 22 months to mirror existing federal legal requirements.
• Require precinct officials to log the name of any person that is rendering assistance to a voter.
• Voters who utilize same-day registration at an early, in-person voting site will be required to cast a provisional ballot. The ballot will only be accepted if the voter’s address can be verified using the regular mailing confirmation and voter verification process that applies to all new voters before polls close on Election Day.
• The NCSBE will create and implement a two-factor authentication process for absentee ballots cast by mail, and county boards of elections will use signature verification software to check the signatures of voters using absentee ballots.

“We cannot afford to do nothing in the face of low voter confidence. This bill builds on popular legislation that Gov. Cooper vetoed and makes key changes that we believe will assist our elections officials and modernize the administration of elections in North Carolina,” Senate Redistricting and Elections Committee Chairman Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell) said.