Stein vetoes election bill changing early voting, ballot challenges

House Bill 958 would change primary early voting, post-election ballot challenges and the State Auditor’s role in election oversight.

RALEIGH — Gov. Josh Stein vetoed House Bill 958 on Monday, rejecting legislation that would make several changes to North Carolina election law, including changes to primary early voting, ballot challenges and election oversight.

Stein announced the veto during a “Protect Our Vote” event at the Executive Mansion. His office said the bill would eliminate a week of early voting in primaries and allow challenges to early vote ballots up to three days after an election.

“The General Assembly wants to make it harder for people to vote and easier to throw out votes they don’t like after Election Day,” Stein said in his veto statement.

The governor’s office also said the bill would expand the State Board of Elections’ tools to remove voters from the rolls and give the State Auditor a continued role in local election administration. Stein criticized that provision, calling it partisan interference.

The veto comes as North Carolina election officials prepare for the November general election. Early voting has been the most common method of voting in recent statewide general elections, according to the governor’s office. Stein’s office said about 200,000 people voted during the first week of early voting in this year’s primary.

The bill now returns to the General Assembly, where lawmakers may attempt to override the veto. Stein urged North Carolinians to contact legislators and ask them to uphold it.

The governor was joined Monday by Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch, House Minority Leader Robert Reives, Rev. James Gailliard and North Carolina A&T student Shia Rozier. Speakers argued that the bill would make voting harder and create more uncertainty after Election Day.

Supporters of the legislation have described election-law changes as necessary for security, consistency and oversight. Stein argued the bill would instead weaken public trust.

The veto keeps election administration at the center of the state’s political debate heading into the fall campaign season.

Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.