North Carolina faces high-stakes Supreme Court and voting access battles

Political competition in North Carolina is intensifying around the state Supreme Court election and voting access policies. Democrats have invested over $473,000 into the race between incumbent Justice Anita Earls and Republican candidate Sarah Stevens. The outcome is considered critical for the state’s redistricting process, as the Supreme Court serves as the final arbiter for drawing legislative and US House district maps.

Simultaneously, the North Carolina State Board of Elections has faced scrutiny regarding voting accessibility. The GOP-controlled board recently rejected a request to provide an early voting location at North Carolina A&T State University, the largest historically Black college or university in the nation. Critics and Democratic board members have raised concerns that these decisions, along with previous votes to curtail Sunday voting, disproportionately impact African American voters.