Statement on Senate Dems’ Theatrics Over Elections Bill
Dems blast measure as “voter suppression” even though a dozen Dem-run states, including Biden’s home state, have identical policies
Dems complained that it’s too hard for people to leave their homes to get a free ID, but now oppose mobile voter ID unit that goes to people’s homes
Raleigh, N.C. — Senate Democrats today staged an illogical and baseless press conference that adopted the theatrics used by far-left activists in other states.
Recent polling, conducted by Cygnal on behalf of the John Locke Foundation, shows startling percentages of voters across all ideologies question whether the 2022 election will be “free and fair.” (The website 538, which rates pollsters, gives Cygnal a B+ and reports the pollster has a slight Democratic bias.)
According to the poll, 60% of Republicans, 43% of unaffiliated voters, and 20% of Democratic voters do not “believe that next year’s elections in North Carolina will be free and fair.”
The proposed bills that Democrats oppose seek to address dangerously low voter confidence and ameliorate complaints from Democrats that free voter ID cards are difficult to access because voters must leave their homes to obtain them.
Sen. Warren Daniel (R-Burke) said, “It’s rich to be lectured on elections claims by Democrats after their own candidate, Hillary Clinton, said the 2016 election was ‘illegitimate’ and that former President Trump ‘knows’ he stole it.
“These hysterics are over an Election Day deadline policy that’s identical to policies in 28 other states, including many Democrat-run states like President Joe Biden’s home state of Delaware. They don’t want to talk about that because their goal is to muddy the waters over an eminently reasonable policy that was the law of North Carolina until 2010.
“And how Democrats can oppose a mobile unit to deliver free ID cards to people in their homes is beyond me. Democrats have complained for two years that it’s too hard for voters to leave their homes to get an ID, and they now oppose a policy that addresses their own complaint.”
Make Election Day the Election Deadline
The proposed committee substitute to Senate Bill 326 would make Election Day the election deadline, consistent with the majority of states, including President Joe Biden’s home state of Delaware. Current law allows absentee ballots to be received by the Board of Elections up to three days after Election Day. Senate Bill 326 would require absentee ballots to be received by Election Day, not three days later.
Election Day is the election deadline in Democratic-controlled states like Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and others. Democrats have tried to argue that aligning North Carolina with these states is an act of voter suppression, though they’ve failed to answer whether Democrats who run states with identical policies are also vote suppressors.
Prohibit Private Funding of Elections Administration
Senate Bill 725 would prohibit private funding of elections administration. Private interests paying for vote collection and counting raises natural suspicions about election integrity.
Fund Mobile Voter ID Units and Permit Online Voter Registration
Senate Bill 724 would fund mobile units to go to voters’ homes to create free voter identification cards. Democrats have argued that it is too burdensome for people to leave their homes to obtain a free ID card. This measure ameliorates that concern. The bill also permits online voter registration and provides visually impaired voters with ballot access.
