RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican legislators gave final approval Wednesday to a series of political power moves that would weaken the incoming governor and other Democratic elected officials in the ninth-largest state.
They're contained in a massive bill sprinkled with a new round of Hurricane Helene relief provisions and rushed through a lame-duck General Assembly session. The Senate voted along party lines for the 131-page measure, which would alter yet again how the State Board of Elections is appointed, likely leading to a GOP majority on a panel now controlled by Democrats. It also would move up in 2025 several post-election deadlines after Republican complaints that counties took too long this month to count provisional and absentee ballots, especially in light of an extremely close Supreme Court race.
The House approved the same measure Tuesday night, so the bill goes next to the desk of outgoing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who has blasted the effort as “massive power grabs.” Other Democrats called provisions unconstitutional.
Any veto override attempt would happen early next month. The measure was approved less than 24 hours after it was made broadly public in the final weeks before Republicans' veto-proof majority ends following electoral defeats in the House this month. Cooper leaves office at year’s end and will be succeeded by fellow Democrat Josh Stein, whose veto likely will be able to block Republican measures if Democratic legislators rem.