State Board of Elections

The North Carolina House passed House Bill 958, an elections bill criticized by Democrats for enabling ballot challenges, audits, and voter registration removals. The bill cleared the House in a party-line 66-47 vote and will now move to the Senate. Key provisions include granting the Republican auditor authority to conduct post-election audits and allowing the Board of Elections to hire private attorneys.

Maryland Democrats are holding primaries to select U.S. House nominees, including a race to replace retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer. Candidates include Harry Dunn, a former police officer who defended the U.S. Capitol during the 2021 riot, and Adrian Boafo, a former Hoyer field director. The primaries also feature a competitive gubernatorial race and a ballot error incident involving mail-in ballots.

Montgomery County elections board members address concerns about mail-in ballot errors and reassure voters that no ballot will be counted twice. Replacement ballots with unique bar codes are being used to track and prevent duplicate counts, with early voting starting June 11 and Election Day on June 23.

North Carolina Democratic leaders Anderson Clayton and Robert Reives are demanding transparency after Jackson County GOP elections board members claimed they faced pressure and threats to oppose a campus early voting site at Western Carolina University. Republican board members Bill Thompson and Jay Pavey alleged they were instructed by Republicans in Raleigh to reject the site, with Pavey stating he was warned of removal if he did not comply. Despite the pressure, Pavey and another Republican supported the campus site, while Thompson opposed it.

A Republican member of the Jackson County Board of Elections, Jay Pavey, faced threats from his party to remove him if he supported a campus early voting site at Western Carolina University. Board Chairman Bill Thompson also reported pressure from the Republican Party to block the university site, citing concerns about neutrality. Despite opposition, Pavey voted for the WCU site, stating he may face consequences for defying party directives.

The North Carolina Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit challenging partisan gerrymandering in the state's 2023 legislative districts, ruling the claims raised non-justiciable political questions. The plaintiffs, represented by Bob Orr, argued the state constitution implies a right to fair elections, but the court stated unenumerated rights cannot invalidate the General Assembly's actions.

A Maryland primary ballot mix-up has renewed Republican calls for a federal review of the state's voter rolls, with the Maryland Freedom Caucus demanding an audit after some voters received the wrong party's ballot. The mistake affects around 400,000 primary voters who requested mail-in ballots. The state is resending thousands of corrected ballots to address the issue.

A Maryland primary ballot mix-up has renewed Republican calls for a federal review of the state's voter rolls, with some 400,000 primary voters receiving the wrong party's ballot. The Maryland Freedom Caucus is demanding that state elections officials release Maryland's voter rolls to the federal government for an audit. The mistake undermines confidence in the June 23 primary.