Lawsuits filed within minutes over voter suppression and rigged elections bills.

Voting rights advocates and democracy defenders have a message for the NC General Assembly’s pro-polluter leadership and its attempt to suppress votes and rig the elections process: we’ll see you in court.

Within minutes of last week’s legislative onslaught of veto overrides, the challenging lawsuits began. At least three suits are already filed, challenging elements of the election law changes in SB 747 and SB 749, or the changes in key commission appointments authority in SB 512.

Court challenges have been filed by various voter groups, Democratic party groups, and Governor Cooper.

“Every single eligible voter deserves fair access to the ballot box and to have their vote count, and North Carolinians will not stand for this voter suppression,” Cooper said in a news release announcing a federal lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee and state Democratic Party. It challenges the elimination of the grace period and other rule changes when someone both registers to vote and casts a ballot during the state’s 17-day early in-person voting period.