[link removed]
Good evening,

The North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) is proposing permanent rules ([link removed]) on election observers, election protests and recounts.

Similar rules were temporarily in effect for the 2024 election.

So, what exactly are the proposed rules?

For election observers, 3 proposed rules are under consideration:
1. Challenges to the appointment of observers - Establishes a system for the chief judge of a voting location to challenge observers appointed by parties or candidates.
2. Appeal of removal of an observer from a voting site - Related to the above proposed rule, establishes a procedure for an ejected observer to appeal that removal to the county board of elections.
3. Identification of observers - Requires observers to wear identification tags to make voters and election officials aware of the observer’s role.

The SBE has also proposed 3 separate rules to streamline the election protest and recount process. These proposed rules would allow the SBE to certify elections faster, and all would require county boards to react quality to protests or recount requests. These rules under consideration are:
1. Timing of election protest actions - This would create a compressed schedule for the protest process; 2 business days from protest filing to preliminary decision on holding a hearing, 3-5 business days from preliminary to full hearing, and notifications out to the affected parties by the end of the following day.
2. 1st (machine) recount - Election officials must conduct a recount within 3 days of a recount request, with the exception of a mandatory recount (which cannot start until at least 10 days after election day), and that this recount must be conducted by machine.
3. 2nd (hand-eye) recount - The candidate who lost the machine recount may demand a sample hand-eye recount, and if it indicates the machine recount was incorrect, the SBE must order a hand-eye recount of all ballots within the jurisdiction.

Ultimately, both sets of proposed rules seem innocuous and fair. If approved by the SBE, the rules would go to the Rules Review Commission (RRC) for final review before becoming official.

Is there a way I can make my voice heard on these rules?

If you have strong opinions on the proposed rules, and would like to provide feedback, you can submit a public comment to the SBE via this portal ([link removed]) or this portal ([link removed]) by midnight on April 21st.

You can read more about elections in North Carolina here ([link removed]) , here ([link removed]) and here ([link removed]) .

Esse quam videri,

Donald Bryson

RSVP Today!
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March Carolina Journal Poll Dinner and Presentation
Thursday, March 13 @ 5:30PM in Raleigh
Join Carolina Journal’s David Larson and John Locke Foundation’s Mitch Kokai at the Bridge Club in Raleigh, NC for an evening of dinner, data, and discussion. We’ll break down the latest Carolina Journal Poll results and give you an inside look at what North Carolinians are thinking about key political issues.

There’s still time to RSVP, but spots are filling up fast! Secure your spot now. RSVP here! ([link removed])
More from Locke
1) 💵💵💵 Tax cuts: A win for everyone, not just the wealthy ([link removed])
* Critics of North Carolina’s historic 2013 tax cuts warned incessantly that tax cuts would only benefit “the rich” or “big business”...
* … but they’ve actually had major impact on reducing poverty
+ The poverty rate dropped from 17.8% in 2013 to 12.8% in 2023, one of the fastest declines in the nation
+ That means approximately 360,000 more people are living above the poverty line
+ North Carolina ranked 5th in the nation for poverty reduction
o The state poverty rate has gone from 2 points higher than the national average in 2013, to only .3 points higher than the national average in 2023
* It turns out economic growth, not government handouts, is what drives prosperity and combats poverty
+ Critics falsely claimed that only big corporations and the wealthy would benefit from tax cuts…
+ … and also wrongly predicted massive budget shortfalls
+ But the data clearly demonstrates that tax cuts increase prosperity for everyone, and do not create budget shortfalls
o So why believe failed predictions, when the facts speak for themselves?

You can read more here ([link removed]) .

2) 🛑🛑🛑 Shutting down NCInnovation’s risky $500 million taxpayer gamble ([link removed])
* NCInnovation was created to foster university-to-industry partnerships by funding innovation and commercialization efforts with taxpayer money
+ It received $500 million in taxpayer funds, on the condition that it raised $25 million in private funding
o Similar state-backed innovation funds in Texas and Georgia have failed, demonstrating that these types of programs often waste public funds with little return on investment
o With the UNC system already receiving $4.2 billion in state funds, can additional public funding for speculative projects even be justified?
* House Bill 154 seeks to dissolve the state’s relationship with NCInnovation, and reclaim taxpayer funds
+ Despite receiving a massive amount of money from the state, NCInnovation has repeatedly resisted transparency and accountability
+ They even threatened legal action against an Oversight Committee staffer for simply carrying out his duties
+ The reclaimed funds would be directed into the state's General Fund
* North Carolina should not recklessly engage in speculative investments, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill
+ Core government services, not risky ventures, should be the priority
+ NC taxpayers deserve fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability
+ House Bill 154 is a step in the right direction

Read the full article here ([link removed]) .

P.S. Join our quarterly conference call on March 10, as we’ll be joined by HB154 primary sponsor, Jake Johnson, R-Polk. ([link removed])

3) 📚📚📚 North Carolina’s education spending soars, but student outcomes lag ([link removed])
* We hear a lot about how much states are spending on education, but not much about how much we’re getting for that spending… until now
+ A Georgetown University research center recently analyzed return-on-investment for each state’s education spending
* So, what did they find for North Carolina?
+ While the state’s education spending has increased significantly in recent years, results remain disappointing
+ From 2013 to 2024, per-pupil spending grew 61% to $13,500
+ But student performance has not kept pace
o Eighth-grade math scores dropped during the pandemic, but saw only modest gains in 2024
o Reading scores declined throughout the decade, and continue to fall, despite increased funding
* The results are clear: educational outcomes need to improve
+ While funding plays a role, North Carolina must reconsider how it allocates and spends education dollars
+ Instead of calling for more money, the focus should be on finding spending strategies that drive real results, instead of repeated failures

Read the full report here ([link removed]) .

Donate ([link removed])

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