NCBOE Action Needed

Happy Friday! Over the past two weeks, we have been actively pushing back and calling out the State Board of Elections regarding their act of blatant partisanship in moving up the Early Vote Site approval deadline from August 2nd to May 7th without any initial explanation or rationale. Following a hearing at the General Assembly this week, the State Board acknowledged that the reason for their breaking precedent is to inoculate themselves against the threat of SB 749 from going into effect, thereby eliminating the 3-2 democrat majority at both the County and State Board levels.

We have been proactive in addressing this ploy, garnering attention through various media outlets and initiating direct communication with the NCSBE. Here are some recent developments and actions we have taken:

1. April 3rd: NCSBE Republican member Kevin Lewis addressed this issue on the Pete Kaliner Show, shedding light on the situation: https://www.nc.gop/wbt_nc_elections_director_doing_an_end_run_around_court

2. April 8th: Queen City News in Charlotte aired a story across multiple media platforms and outlets across the State, drawing attention to the issue.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEj2cdldFc  

3. April 16th: Chairman Simmons formally called on the NCSBE to retract their directive and issue an apology to the affected counties and election officials. Please see Chairman Simmons' letter here.

4. The Carolina Journal covered this "quiet modification" and highlighted the partisan nature of the decision https://www.carolinajournal.com/ncsbe-quietly-modifies-election-document-after-ncgop-slams-blatant-partisanship/

5. April 17th: Director Bell was questioned by the General Assembly during an elections hearing regarding the sudden change, where she acknowledged the fear of losing power if SB 749 is enacted. Her response was "[t]he rationale from the chair has been that there is the potential for uncertainty, for there to be changes in our election processes." 

6. April 18th: The News and Observer and North State Journal further examined Director Bell's response and the implications of the decision. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article287763340.html and https://nsjonline.com/article/2024/04/nc-state-board-of-elections-altered-early-voting-site-plan-submissions-the-question-is-why/ 

In light of this act of blatant partisanship, I urge each of you to express your concerns directly to the members of the State Board of Elections and Director Bell. I have attached a sample letter for your convenience. Please send your correspondence to the following email addresses: 

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Feel free to share this information with others who may wish to voice their concerns. As always, if you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Have a great weekend, 

Kyle