NC Senate District 46 Newsletter

2023 | JUNE 2

Dear Friends,

I trust that you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. (Another 'memorial' day is coming up on June 6, the D-Day invasion of 1944.)

In this newsletter, I wanted to share some information about a couple of bills that are moving through the General Assembly

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SB 747 Election Law Changes

Today, Republicans in the Senate filed Senate Bill 747, a bill that will strengthen election laws, increase confidence in election administration, and align North Carolina with 30 other states by establishing Election Day as the firm deadline for accepting absentee ballots.

This is not the first effort made by Republicans in the legislature to address low voter confidence in elections. In 2021, a Cygnal poll found that only 49% of North Carolinians believed the 2022 elections would be “free and fair.” The legislature passed multiple bills addressing those issues. Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed those commonsense bills. More recent polling by Cygnal shows that only 50% of North Carolinians believe our elections will be free and fair, a clear confirmation that voter confidence has not improved.

Senate Bill 747 includes two popular provisions from the vetoed bills. It establishes Election Day as the deadline for accepting absentee ballots, putting North Carolina on equal footing with 30 other states, and it prohibits the North Carolina State Board of Elections, county boards of elections, and county commissioners from accepting private donations for election administration purposes.

“Making Election Day the official deadline removes confusion and skepticism from the minds of voters. It will make for a quicker declaration of winners, it aligns us with 30 other states, and it helps North Carolina move past each election cycle with confidence, instead of doubt,” Senate Redistricting and Elections Committee Chairman Sen. Paul Newton (R-Cabarrus) said.

“The injection of hundreds of millions of private dollars into the U.S. elections was rightfully scrutinized by many Americans. By putting an end to out-of-state billionaires bankrolling the administration of our elections, we will maintain election integrity and steer clear from the very notion of outside influence,” Senate Redistricting and Elections Committee Chairman Sen. Warren Daniel (R-Burke) said.

Senate Bill 747 will also do the following:

Require the clerk of superior court to notify the NCSBE of individuals disqualified from jury duty because they aren’t U.S. citizens. The NCSBE will review the report and have the county boards of elections eliminate any noncitizens from North Carolina’s voter rolls.
Permit public inspection of absentee ballots at the weekly county boards of elections meetings authorized through Election Day.
Increase the period of time that election records are retained and preserved to 22 months to mirror existing federal legal requirements.
Require precinct officials to log the name of any person that is rendering assistance to a voter.
Voters who utilize same-day registration at an early, in-person voting site will be required to cast a provisional ballot. The ballot will only be accepted if the voter's address can be verified using the regular mailing confirmation and voter verification process that applies to all new voters before polls close on Election Day.
The NCSBE will create and implement a two-factor authentication process for absentee ballots cast by mail, and county boards of elections will use signature verification software to check the signatures of voters using absentee ballots.

“We cannot afford to do nothing in the face of low voter confidence. This bill builds on popular legislation that Gov. Cooper vetoed and makes key changes that we believe will assist our elections officials and modernize the administration of elections in North Carolina,” Senate Redistricting and Elections Committee Chairman Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell) said.

HB 66 Boards of Education Elections

HB 66 changes the way several boards of education are elected. One section of the bill seeks to change how the the Buncombe County School Board will be elected. The Buncombe County Board of Education consists of seven members. Currently, for purposes of electing members of the board, the Buncombe County School Administrative Unit consists of all of Buncombe County outside of and excluding the City of Asheville School Administrative Unit and is divided into seven districts based upon school attendance zones.

Members must reside in the district, but all members are elected at-large by the qualified voters residing in the Buncombe County School Administrative Unit. The members are elected using the nonpartisan plurality method to serve staggered four-year terms. Elections are held in even-numbered years at the time of the general election for county officers.

Effective for the 2024 elections, provide that six of the seven members of the Buncombe County Board of Education are be elected from six electoral districts, with the seventh member to be elected at-large. This change would require the Buncombe County Board of Education to establish electoral districts prior to February 1, 2024. If the Buncombe County Board of Education fails to establish the electoral districts by this date, the North Carolina General Assembly would be required to establish the electoral districts. In establishing or revising the districts, the Board must adhere to the following criteria, which are standard criteria in NC for establishing election districts:)

Equal population.
Contiguity.
Compact districts.
No election or racial data used.
Current residency districts considered as communities of interest and only changed the minimum amount needed to conform to the foregoing criteria.
Municipal boundaries, residences of the current members, and communities of interest could be considered, if the Board so chose.
Effective for the 2026 elections, provide that the members of the Buncombe County Board of Education are to be elected using the nonpartisan primary and election method. Candidates would be nominated at the same time and manner as other county officers.

I received many, many emails and phone calls from Buncombe County residents in favor of these changes. I also received emails and phone calls not in favor of the bill. However, most of the comments were delivered prior to knowing what the changes would actually be. The bill will not make the Buncombe School Board into a partisan-elected board. If the county believes that the cost to draw new districts will be exorbitant, the county may choose to utilize the General Assembly resources to produce the new districts.

BUDGET UPDATE. Work on the state budget continues next week, and I am hopeful that a budget agreement will be in place within the next two weeks.

FLASHBACK FLOOR REMARKS 2015: Honoring Burke County hero, James Hamby.

"Today, a member from my district is being honored at a ceremony at the State Capitol. Private First Class Hamby served with the 29th Field Artillery Regiment in World War II. The 29th FA was the first Field Artillery to land on Utah Beach in Normandy. The 29th FA continued on through Cherbourg.

The 29th FA continued on through Cherbourg and participated in the liberation of Paris. They went on through the Battle of the Bulge and on into Germany. After that, they returned to the United States to prepare for a possible invasion of Japan.

In order to express France’s eternal gratitude to those who liberated it from oppression from 1944-45, the Consul General of France in Atlanta, Georgia — Denis Barbet — today will bestow the Legion of Honor up on seven American World War II Veterans from North Carolina in a ceremony at 2 p.m. at the State Capitol.

Founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the National Order of the Legion of Honor is the highest honor in France. It recognizes eminent services to the French Republic. American veterans who risked their lives during World War II and who fought on French territory qualify to be decorated as Knights of the Legion of Honor.

Veterans must have fought in one of the four main campaigns of the Liberation of France: Normandy, Provence, Ardennes or Northern France. Recipients of this honor are designated by the President of the Republic, François Hollande.

Other recipients today who are receiving this award include:

Harold Eatman of Matthews

Fernnie Letchworth of Sharpsburg

James Seitzer of Chapel Hill

Julien Highsmith of Brasstown

Donald Judd of Burlington

In addition, Mrs. Candy Bernard will be present to receive the medal on behalf of her late Father, Leon E. Bernard (First Lieutenant, 93rd Bomb group, 8th Air Force). "

James Hamby Honored by French Govt Feb. 3 2015

Volunteering helps to reduce depression, increase life satisfaction, and gives people purpose. If you’re an animal lover but can’t have a pet where you live, you could volunteer at your local animal shelter. Other examples of volunteer opportunities include libraries, museums, parks and zoos, ministries or other non-profits.

To find more volunteer activities, visit the North Carolina Volunteer Opportunities website to discover opportunities that are available in the state.

Interested in following along with next week's legislative business? Clicking on the image below will take you to the Legislative Calendar.

FEDERAL SERVICES

NC Senate District 46 is well-served by very effective constituent services from our federal Congressional and Senate offices. Here are some of the common issues that we receive calls about that we end up having to refer to a Congressional or US Senate office:

SSI/Disability; Passport delays; VA issues (although we can help connect you to county NC4Vets Veteran Services Offices that can help with most of the needs of our district military veterans.)

Buncombe County: Rep. Chuck Edwards 828-435-7310

Burke County: Rep. Patrick McHenry 828-327-6100

McDowell County: Rep. Chuck Edwards 828-435-7310

Senator Tillis: 704-509-9087

Senator Budd: 828-333-4130

These phone numbers are for requesting help with a government agency through their 'local' offices. For commenting on policy and legislation, visit their respective official websites and use the contact email and phone numbers provided.

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As always, if I may be of assistance to you, please contact my Raleigh office via phone or email. It is a pleasure to serve you in the state Senate.

—Warren Daniel

Click here to send an email to Warren

Civic Engagement:

How can citizens follow NC General Assembly activities? First visit the NC General Assembly's webpage at www.ncleg.gov. Explore the links and the information found there.