North Carolina legislative and gubernatorial disputes

In North Carolina, Governor Josh Stein has engaged in legislative conflicts with the Republican-controlled legislature regarding various reform bills.

In early August, the North Carolina House and Senate passed two election reform measures, House Bill 834 and House Bill 958. These bills aim to shorten primary early-voting periods, extend ballot-curing deadlines, and implement performance audits of election systems. While HB 834 could take effect immediately, most provisions of HB 958 are scheduled for 2027.

Following this, Governor Stein vetoed House Bill 377, which sought to expand the authority of the state Supreme Court and its chief justice to discipline, suspend, or remove lower-court judges. The Governor argued the bill could “undermine judicial independence” by concentrating excessive power within judicial leadership. Republican supporters maintained the measure is necessary for accountability, while Democrats expressed concerns regarding potential pressure on judges to favor the Republican-controlled Supreme Court.

In mid-August, Governor Stein also vetoed House Bill 958. This election law measure would reduce the early in-person voting period for primaries and special elections from 17 days to 10 days and mandate the use of federal and interstate databases to remove deceased voters from rolls. Stein characterized the bill as ‘anti-voter legislation’ that would make voting more difficult. Republican House Speaker Destin Hall has indicated that the legislature may attempt to override these vetoes when lawmakers reconvene in November.