Stop Voter Suppression!

Stop Voter Suppression!

June 13, 2026

Ask legislators to vote NO to the Proposed Committee Substitute to NC 958

On the evening of Friday, June 12th, the Republican leaders of North Carolina's state legislature dropped a big, unannounced, 36-page omnibus bill stuffed to the brim with new voting restrictions and elections changes.

This thing is a voter suppression wishlist. Just some of its major provisions:
👉 Total ban on encouraging voter turnout: State and county board members are prohibited from any public statement "encouraging or promoting voter turnout in any election"
👉 Grants the Republican State Auditor total discretion to audit all machines, county offices and personnel involved in any election
👉 Reduces campaign finance transparency: the bill significantly raises the dollar thresholds for required reporting of dark money contributions or media expenditures, waiving reporting for the rest
👉 Requires candidates to register with a political party a full year before filing to run in that party's primary election (up from 90 days)
👉 Total ban on any ranked-choice voting in any primary or general election statewide
👉 Strips some overseas voters of their eligibility to vote in any state elections
👉 Partisan staffing: changes up to 25 professional staff at the State Board of Elections from career civil staff to partisan political appointees
👉 Bans paid-per-signature petition gathering

The full draft of the PCS (Proposed Committee Substitute) bill can be found here:
https://carolinaforward.org/images/hb-958-pcs.pdf

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I am writing as your constituent to urge you to oppose the PCS to North Carolina House Bill 958, "Election Law Changes," currently pending before the House Election Law Committee. While some provisions of this bill address routine administrative matters, several key sections would make it significantly harder for North Carolinians to cast a ballot and would discourage voter participation in ways that undermine our democratic process. I respectfully ask you to vote no on this bill.

Silencing Election Officials Who Encourage Voting:
Section 3.1 of HB 958 would prohibit any member of the State Board of Elections or a county board of elections from making any oral or written statement encouraging or promoting voter turnout in any election. Election officials are the stewards of our democratic process. Barring them by law from even encouraging citizens to participate — regardless of party — sends a chilling message that high voter turnout is something to be avoided rather than celebrated. A democracy depends on broad participation, and this provision treats that participation as a threat.

New Documentation Burdens on Military and Overseas Voters:
Section 4.3 would require covered voters — including members of our military serving abroad — to submit residency documentation such as a utility bill, bank statement, or government document showing their last North Carolina address before they may register to vote. Section 4.4 would further require overseas civilian voters to submit a photocopy of unexpired photo identification with their returned ballot. Members of the military and Americans living abroad already face extraordinary logistical barriers to voting. These new requirements add paperwork hurdles that will predictably result in more valid ballots being rejected, effectively silencing the votes of those who serve and sacrifice for the freedoms the rest of us enjoy at home.

Restricting the Definition of Eligible Military and Overseas Voters:
Section 4.1 would remove from the definition of "covered voter" any U.S. citizen who has never resided in the United States but whose parent or legal guardian was last domiciled in North Carolina — limiting such individuals to federal elections only. These are American citizens with deep ties to North Carolina. Narrowing who counts as an eligible voter for purposes of state elections reduces legitimate participation with no corresponding benefit to election integrity.

Banning Rank Choice Voting and Limiting Electoral Options:
Section 2.4 would permanently ban ranked choice voting in any primary or election in North Carolina, effective January 1, 2027. Ranked choice voting is a method that gives voters more expressive power and reduces the spoiler effect. Whatever one's view of the method, banning it outright removes a tool that communities and voters might otherwise choose to adopt. Restricting the options available to voters is itself a form of limiting democratic participation.

Increasing the Party Affiliation Waiting Period for Candidates:
Section 2.15 would extend the party affiliation requirement for candidates filing in a party primary from 90 days to 365 days — a full year. While party primaries are rightly controlled by parties, a fourfold increase in the waiting period discourages civic participation and limits the pool of candidates willing or able to engage in the democratic process. A waiver exists but requires approval from the state executive committee of the party, creating a gatekeeping mechanism that favors political insiders over ordinary citizens seeking to serve.

The Cumulative Effect Is Voter Suppression:
Taken individually, each of these provisions may appear modest. Together, they form a clear pattern: more barriers to casting a ballot, more documentation requirements for vulnerable voters, fewer expressive options for citizens, and election officials who are legally forbidden from even urging people to go vote. The communities most likely to be harmed are those who already face the greatest obstacles — military families overseas, working people who cannot easily navigate new paperwork requirements, and first-time candidates without party establishment backing.

I urge you to oppose HB 958 and instead champion legislation that makes voting more accessible, not less. Our democracy is at its strongest when every eligible citizen can participate fully and freely. Please vote no.

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