Suffering from Voter Confusion Syndrome?

Legislative News by Nelda Holder –

It is the merry month of March, 2022.

The month of March Madness for basketball fans. The month of St. Patrick’s Day for the real or would-be Irish. The month of daffodils and other signs of spring’s cyclical return for all of us. And the month of North Carolina voting primaries to pick our candidates for the statewide offices that decide the direction of our government ….

Oops.

Not this March!

It started in December of last year when the North Carolina Supreme Court—in an unsigned ruling—moved the primary election for a host of state officeholders (including 14 US Congress members and one US senator) to May 17. The reason? Legal challenges to the redistricting maps that were presented by the Republican-majority NC General Assembly, following the most recent federal census.

At the time of the ruling, Speaker of the House Tim Moore expressed his frustration at throwing the process “into chaos in the middle of filing,” which he asserted “leaves North Carolinians with uncertainty ahead of the election.”

One might argue that Moore and the Republican-flavored maps created that chaos, but things were about to get even better. Or worse.

The NC Supreme Court subsequently moved on February 4 to officially declare the congressional maps unfairly favorable to Republicans through means of partisan gerrymandering. New districts were ordered drawn by February 18, giving the Legislature exactly two weeks to come up with something better, and pinning the trial court to a deadline of February 23 to approve—or disapprove—the resultant new maps.

The Legislature’s second attempt at mapping was also found to be unconstitutional when it was presented to a three-judge bipartisan panel overseeing the redistricting case. On February 23, these judges upheld two of the newest maps for the state’s legislative elections (see Senate Bill 744 and House Bill 980). But panel decided that the Remedial Congressional Plan enacted into law by the General Assembly on February 17, 2022, did not satisfy the Supreme Court’s standards.

What to do now, with congressional primaries breathing down everyone’s necks? The panel held that an Interim Congressional Plan, recommended by Special Masters (former Supreme Court Justices Bob Orr (unaffiliated but former Republican), Bob Edmunds (Republican), and former UNC System President Thomas Ross (Democrat), be adopted by the Court and approved for the 2022 North Carolina Congressional elections. And on February 23, that approval was granted under an Order on Remedial Plans.

The NC Supreme Court declined to delay the use of these maps, leaving the state primary date of May 17 on the calendar.

The decision was, predictably, followed by an emergency appeal to the US Supreme Court, announced by Speaker of the House Tim Moore on February 25. This was countered by a request to the Supremes to deny the case, filed by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and pro bono counsel on behalf of plaintiff Common Cause. The case was denied on Monday, March 7.

What was it we were saying about March Madness?

And speaking of the May 17 primary

Given the rather breathtaking sequence of events listed above, it seems practical to offer just a few “voter refresher” facts. Because obviously, if all the effort above has been exerted to mold your voting opportunities, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to VOTE.

So here’s the timeline for participation:

•   Voter registration deadline: 25 days before election (Friday, April 22 for this primary)
•   Absentee ballots available: Monday, March 28 unless reduced by five days under NCGS 163-227.10(a)
•   Absentee ballot REQUEST submission deadline (civilians): May 10
•   One-stop, in-person early voting BEGINS April 28 (Thursday)
•   One-stop, in-person early voting ENDS May 14 (Saturday) at 3 p.m.
•   Election Day (in person) and civilian absentee ballot return deadline): Tuesday, May 17

In addition to the chance to pick primary candidates who will subsequently vie for the US Senate (a popular race, with 11 Democrats, one Libertarian, and 14 Republican candidates), the US House of Representatives (in District 11, six Democrats, one Libertarian, and eight Republicans), the NC General Assembly, and the NC Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, there will be choices for such offices as state and local judgeships, sheriff, county commission, Asheville mayor (five candidates), and city council (11 candidates vying for six seats).

Make sure you’re registered, and get any questions answered

Known for helpful service (my personal experience, at least), the Buncombe County Election Services left its former (rather small) home on McDowell Street and moved to the more accommodating 59 Woodfin Place in downtown Asheville this past November. There’s plenty of parking space available, and the larger quarters allow for more space to accomplish the tasks of running our city and county elections.

Buncombe County Election Services hours for normal business are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the phone number is the same: (828) 250-4200. To reach the website, go to buncombecounty.org/vote.

Words to the wise

Check your voter registration (or REGISTER if you need to) immediately. Just get it done! The Election Services site allows you to do that without leaving home, and you can also access sample ballots and find instructions for absentee voting and much more. There have been some changes to absentee ballot procedures, so be sure you study those carefully.

Next instructions: Do participate in candidate forums and get to know more about the people who are offering to work on your behalf to serve this county and state. We’ll hopefully have word about the schedule for some of those next month.

Nelda Holder is the author of The Thirteenth Juror – Ferguson: A Personal Look at the Grand Jury Transcripts.