Republicans claim that Gov. Roy Cooper's elections board was not forthcoming with information and is trying to change laws. | Facebook
Republicans claim that Gov. Roy Cooper's elections board was not forthcoming with information and is trying to change laws. | Facebook
Two Republican state Board of Elections members resigned in September over what they claimed was "bullying and deceitful tactics" from other board members staffers, governor and the state attorney general — all Democrats.
The political posturing comes just weeks before the November general election, with Republicans facing tough re-election challenges.
Former Republican members Ken Raymond and David Black resigned Sept. 23 after they submitted their resignation letters.
In their letters, both Raymond and Black said that they "were deceived by the Democrat-majority board staff and Attorney General Josh Stein's attorneys and were unethically pressured into making a decision based on inaccurate legal advice provided by Stein's lawyers," the North Carolina GOP wrote in a release on Sept. 24.
The former members alleged that the deception was over a settlement the board approved. The board was sued by the North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans challenging the state's election rules.
"AG Josh Stein's office did not advise us of the fact that a lot of the concessions made in the settlement have already been denied in a prior case by a federal judge and another case by a state court three-judge panel," Raymond wrote in his letter.
The Republicans alleged that Gov. Roy Cooper, Stein and the election board are trying to rewrite the state constitution to expand the statutory absentee ballot deadline. They are also trying to subvert the witness requirement, rewrite postmark definition and to weaken protections against ballot harvesting.
North Carolina's Republican party said this is an attack on the state's election and violates the process to change laws through judicial fiat.
"It is appalling that Roy Cooper and Josh Stein have set up a totally partisan operation at the Board of Elections — which is in the process of completely overhauling North Carolina election rules after voting has already begun. The board needs to set aside their partisan objectives, comply with their statutory obligations and administer the elections fairly," NCGOP Chairman Michael Whatley said in the press release. "After the Democrats shameful tactics, it is fully appropriate for the Republican members to resign in protest, and we will submit suitable replacements as quickly as possible."
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