(TheRedWire.com) – Lawmakers in North Carolina held a vote to override the veto by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper in connection to an election-related measure that the governor had claimed threatened democracy.
SB 749, the bill in question, would set up bipartisan election boards in the state while overhauling the current system. Currently, state and county elections are controlled by the governor’s party. However, following the change brought forth by the bill, there would be an equal number of members from both parties who would now be called to certify the election results or decide on the locations for early voting.
Currently, three-fifths of the state’s legislature is held by GOP state lawmakers, allowing them to override the veto the Governor had previously set. On Tuesday, the state Senate, in a 30-19 vote, and the House, in a 72-44 vote, chose to override the veto. However, this bill will still face problems and legal challenges if implemented.
Cooper has argued that the bill could cause problems in future state elections. While notifying the legislature of his decision to veto the bill, he stated that the bill would force the state’s elections to a “gridlock” while reducing access to early voting. He added that this would also be risky for Republican legislators who might wish to change the election results in cases where they disagree with the winner. As he pointed out, this could threaten democracy, especially considering that a presidential candidate had recently attempted to reverse the results of the presidential election.
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