Elections & Public Integrity
We advocate for election and government integrity, investigate possible violations of election laws, and track threats to government integrity and to civilized public debate.
Repairing the damage to the North Carolina Supreme Court.
What defines an activist court? Is it one that establishes new rules by expanding and stretching the constitution to write a perceived wrong, or is it a court that looks…
Bill Creates a Smoother Transition for Judicial Retirements
A bill in the General Assembly would allow some judges who reach the state mandatory retirement age to complete their terms, limiting the disruption of their retirements. North Carolina Judges…
State Should Protect Privacy or Withdraw from Voter Registration Data Program
North Carolina joined the ERIC data-sharing program to clean its voter registration rolls. Several states have recently withdrawn from the program over concerns about data security and the influence of…
Testimony for Removing the Literacy Test from North Carolina’s Constitution
I spoke in favor of House Bill 44, removing the literacy test from the North Carolina Constitution at a meeting of the House Judiciary Committee on the morning of March…
Impact of Wake County Elections Bill: Partisan Index for Wake County Commissioner Districts
House Bill 99 looks to modify Wake County Commissioners elections from partisan and countywide to non-partisan elections and by district. This proposed change has caused some to exaggerate the impact…
Wake Elections Bill Goes Too Far, and Not Far Enough
(See the update at the end of this post.) House Bill 99, sponsored by Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake), introduces an essential reform to how county commissioners would be elected in…
North Carolina Constitution: Repeal the Literacy Test and Add Citizen-Only Voting
The literacy test should be removed from the North Carolina Constitution. A requirement that only citizens may vote should be added to the North Carolina Constitution. The General Assembly should…
Elections Offices Will Not Accept “Zuck Bucks 2.0”
I wrote on January 20 about a new effort by progressives to influence election administration in North Carolina and elsewhere. The threat of progressives controlling election administration has not diminished,…
North Carolina Supreme Court is correct to rehear Voter ID and Redistricting rulings
The North Carolina Supreme court is scheduled to rehear two high-stakes election lawsuits on redistricting and voter ID. The State Supreme Court ruled on two different voter ID lawsuits last…
Congressional Vote Highlights the Need for a Citizens-only Voting Amendment
A recent vote in Congress highlighted the need to add a citizen-only voting amendment to the North Carolina Constitution. The District of Columbia City Council voted to grant noncitizens voting…
Felon Disenfranchisement Is Right and Constitutional
Convicted felons should have their right to vote restored only after they have entirely repaid their debts to society. The United States and North Carolina constitutions both authorize and enshrine…
Legislation Would Affirm The Right of Police Officers to Vote
The right of police officers and others to vote while in uniform should not be left to the whims of the State Board of Elections Executive Director