Republican lawmakers have overturned five of North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper's vetoes, two of them affecting the 2024 election cycle in the battleground state.
Cooper, fellow Democrats and others immediately filed suits challenging the new laws.
One will eliminate the governor's power to appoint the State Board of Elections and give it to legislative leaders. The other ends a three-day grace period to receive and count absentee ballots as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.
Instead, these ballots will have to be received by 7:30 p.m.
on the date of the election to count.
Cooper and his allies contend the voting legislation will give Republicans the upper hand in close results, intimidate voters and make it more difficult to cast ballots.
Republicans say voters will be educated on the new deadline, which is similar to those in over half of the states. The deadline wouldn’t apply to military or overseas ballots.
