RALEIGH – On Wednesday, a divided NC Senate Committee on Redistricting and Elections approved Senate Bill 326 with very little opportunity for public comment. This deeply flawed bill would eliminate the three-day window for county boards of elections to receive absentee ballots by mail after Election Day, even when those ballots are postmarked on or before Election Day. The bill now goes to the Senate Rules Committee.

નીચેના નિવેદન તરફથી છે બોબ ફિલિપ્સ, કોમન કોઝ એનસીના એક્ઝિક્યુટિવ ડિરેક્ટર:

“Last year’s historic election saw record turnout in North Carolina and showed how participation in our democracy can thrive when voting is made accessible for all voters. A million North Carolina voters chose to cast an absentee ballot by mail in 2020. Sadly, instead of building on last year’s election success, some politicians now want to take our state backward and make casting a ballot more difficult for North Carolinians.

Senate Bill 326 would eliminate the window for county boards of elections to receive absentee ballots by mail up to three days after Election Day, even when those lawful ballots are postmarked on or before Election Day. There is absolutely no evidence that this change is needed. It would simply hurt North Carolina voters, especially those in rural communities, who follow the rules but could have their ballot unfairly invalidated because of a delay in mail delivery. We call on legislators to reject Senate Bill 326.

It’s worth noting that 2009 માં, NC જનરલ એસેમ્બલીએ બંને ચેમ્બરમાં સર્વસંમતિથી મત આપ્યો હતો કે મેલ દ્વારા ગેરહાજર મતપત્રો મેળવવા માટે ત્રણ દિવસની છૂટનો સમયગાળો સ્થાપિત કરવામાં આવ્યો હતો. 2009માં ત્રણ દિવસીય વિન્ડોની તરફેણમાં મતદાન કરનારાઓમાં સેન. ફિલ બર્જર અને હવે હાઉસ સ્પીકર ટિમ મૂર હતા.

Rather than creating unnecessary barriers to the ballot box, lawmakers should work in a bipartisan way to make casting a ballot accessible for every North Carolina voter. We must protect the freedom of all voters to participate in our elections.”

કોમન કોઝ NC એ બિનપક્ષીય, ગ્રાસરુટ સંસ્થા છે જે અમેરિકન લોકશાહીના મૂળ મૂલ્યોને જાળવી રાખવા માટે સમર્પિત છે.