North Carolina
Federal judge blocks Republican-backed changes to same-day voter registration rules in North Carolina
A federal judge temporarily blocked portions of a North Carolina elections law on Sunday, preventing changes to the same-day voter registration process from taking effect.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder sided with the North Carolina Democratic Party, arguing that the changes would have violated voters’ due process rights and result in the throwing out of legitimate ballots.
The blocked parts of the law mandated that the state send only one notice to a listed address to verify same-day voter registration, instead of two. The voter’s ballot would then be canceled if the postcard returned as undeliverable, without notifying the voter.
In his ruling, Schroeder wrote that only having one chance to verify an address by mail would be a “substantial burden on same-day registrants who cast a ballot.” He continued that such registrants would “face a non-trivial risk of being erroneously disenfranchised by failing address verification due to governmental error, rather than factors related to their eligibility to vote, without any notice and opportunity to be heard.”
Most of Senate Bill 747 remains in effect, including the banning of private money for administering elections, removing a three-day grace period for receiving absentee ballots and empowering partisan poll watchers.
“The court order requires relatively minor changes to one small part of the bill, and we are working with our attorneys and the State Board of Elections to ensure that the entire bill is in effect before the primary and general elections this year,” NC House Speaker Tim Moore and state Rep. Grey Mills said in a joint statement. “We will never stop fighting for election integrity on behalf of North Carolina’s voters.”
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the bill was overridden by Republican state legislatures on Oct. 10. Moments later, the Democratic National Committee and North Carolina Democratic Party filed a lawsuit challenging it.
Proponents of the bill urged the prevention of fraudulent ballots, while Democrats argued that this restriction represented unconstitutional voter suppression. In his veto message, Cooper wrote that the bill had “nothing to do with election security and everything to do with Republicans keeping and gaining power.”
With Schroeder’s decision, the State Board of Elections must notify same-day registrants if their ballot is canceled. Schroeder’s order says that legislators must either address the due process issues or not uphold the new rules.
Republicans may still appeal the ruling, but it is likely that the law’s same-day voter registration restrictions will not be in effect for March’s primary election. Same-day registration occurs during in-person early voting, which will run from Feb. 15 to March 2.
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| Editor at Large
Madeleine Berger is a Trinity senior and an editor at large of The Chronicle’s 119th volume.
Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
Posted
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Fire crews are responding to a brush fire near Howard Gap Road in Hendersonville on Friday evening.
The fire is across the street from the Ebenezer Baptist Church and near the Highlands Square Shopping Center.
Henderson County Fire Marshal Glen Gillette said crews are fighting “blowdown from Helene.”
NEW WILDFIRES IGNITE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA FOREST AMID WORSENING DROUGHT
Around 11 p.m., the fire appears larger than it did an hour ago because crews are backburning, which refers to using fire to help control the wildfire.
Dana Fire Department Chief Jimmy Womack said that what was a 3-acre fire an hour ago will be an 8-acre fire due to back burning. He said the fire is 80% contained.
Womack said the cause of the fire is unknown, but one of the conditions contributing to the blaze is the Helene blowdown.
“There’s a lot of blowdown in these woods behind us. That’s what creates most of the problem,” said Womack.
Womack said there has been no property damage and no injuries have been reported for this fire in the woods that 24 personnel are fighting. They got the call to arrive at 6:05 p.m.
LOCAL NEWS
Dana Fire and Rescue and Henderson County Fire Department are supporting the U.S. Forest Service with this fire.
Glen said no structures are threatened at this time and Howard Gap Road is closed.
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This story will be updated as new information is discovered.
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