Rulings favoring the defenders of voting rights were handed down in both federal and NC state appeals courts last week.
State Appeals Court Strikes Down Legislation Stripping the Governor’s Power to Appoint Boards of Elections
A panel of the NC Court of Appeals last week ruled legislation passed in December was unconstitutional because it stripped incoming Governor Josh Stein of the constitutional power to appoint members of the state and county Boards of Elections.
That ruling is a major victory for keeping our elections system under leadership committed to the protection of voting rights and fair administration. Stein, an environmental champion supported by NCLCV, campaigned on a commitment to fight efforts to disenfranchise voters or place unnecessary barriers in the way of registration and voting.
Republican legislative leaders are expected to appeal the ruling to the NC Supreme Court.
Federal Appeals Court Puts Hold on Order to Start Ballot “Curing” Process
Meanwhile, in the federal courts, a panel of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked an order that the NC State Board of Elections begin the process of identifying ballots which need to be “cured” or discarded. Under the now temporarily blocked order of the NC Supreme Court, citizens including military personnel and families overseas at the time of the November election would be required to submit photo IDs by a short deadline or see their ballots disqualified.
The order is suspended while election winner Justice Allison Riggs and other appellants pursue their argument that the state court order violates U.S. Constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process of law. Election loser Judge Jefferson Griffin chose to challenge the overseas voters only from a limited number of heavily Democratic-leaning counties. The NC Supreme Court then in its decision required those overseas voters to submit photo IDs months after the election, despite the fact that state law did not require the submission of IDs by those voters at the time, and in fact did not provide any process for them to do so.
Why Is Voting So Important for the Environment?
Many environmental challenges, like water pollution and climate change, require action from our government. While the word “environment” can feel political, North Carolinians across the political spectrum agree on one thing: we all want clean air and clean water for our families, friends, and neighbors.
When North Carolinians participate in free and fair elections, they consistently vote to protect our environment and the health of our communities. Unfortunately, ultra-wealthy polluters often try to influence our elected officials, pressuring them to weaken environmental protections. When leaders cave to this pressure, they pass laws that endanger our health, harm our economy, and threaten our way of life.
We hold our leaders accountable through our votes — and any attempt to undermine our elections is an attack on our right to protect our environment and our communities. That’s why we keep fighting for our democracy — because protecting our vote means protecting our future.
Join us in this fight by becoming a donor today. Your support powers our work to protect our environment, our communities, and our democracy.
