Under the Dome: Courts asked to intervene in voter challenges; veto override uncertain

Good morning and welcome to the Under the Dome newsletter. I’m Emily Vespa.

Between the still-ongoing state Supreme Court race and the last week of the legislative session, it will be a busy week in #ncpol. Here’s what to know.

The second recount in the state Supreme Court race is expected to finish today. After the first recount, Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs’ 734-vote lead didn’t budge.

Korie Dean reports that the State Board of Elections will release the results of the partial hand-to-eye recount after it’s complete. The board could order a full recount if the results of the partial recount could change the race’s outcome when extrapolated across the state.

Even after the second recount’s conclusion, the State Board of Elections must deal with Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin’s challenge to over 60,000 ballots. The board will meet Wednesday to consider his election protests.

On Friday, Griffin asked the state Court of Appeals and Wake County Superior Court to order the state board to rule on the protests by Tuesday. The superior court denied that request.

“While the Board has a legal duty to make a decision, it does not have a legal duty to make a decision one day prior to the date it set for hearing,” Superior Court Judge William Pittman wrote in his Monday decision.

Griffin again asked the appeals court to take action on Monday. As of that evening, it had not yet made a decision.

Meanwhile, the North Carolina Democratic Party on Friday filed a federal lawsuit asking the court to block the GOP’s voter challenge, arguing that federal law prohibits disqualifying voters en masse after an election, reports Kyle Ingram.

State Board of Elections Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell asked for patience on Saturday while state and local elections officials handle the recounts and protests.

“All of this additional work comes on the heels of an incredibly grueling few months before the presidential election, which was compounded in a quarter of the state due to Hurricane Helene,” Brinson Bell said in a news release.

VETO OVERRIDE, PROTEST PLANNED FOR LAST WEEK OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION

This week, state lawmakers are in Raleigh for the last days of session before the legislature adjourns for the year. The House is expected to vote to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto on a controversial power shift bill. To succeed, House Republicans may have to vote unanimously for the override, which isn’t certain.

As Avi Bajpai reported, incoming House Speaker Destin Hall previously said he’s confident that Republicans will have the votes, but three Western North Carolina Republicans who voted against the bill have been elusive on whether they’ll do it again.

Senate leader Phil Berger has said his chamber is done with votes for the year, which narrows the negotiation options available to satisfy Republican holdouts.

On Monday, activists held a Moral Monday protest against the bill.

For more on the bill, listen to this week’s Under the Dome podcast with Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan, Korie Dean and Kyle Ingram.

Today, Republican state lawmakers, including Hall and the current House speaker, newly elected congressman Tim Moore, plan to travel to Washington to push Congress and federal officials to hasten Hurricane Helene relief efforts, reports Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan. And a newly established state House committee on Helene recovery is scheduled to convene on Wednesday.

The House might also consider two proposed constitutional amendments. If the amendments — one that lowers the state’s income tax cap and another that revises the voter ID requirement — pass with a supermajority, they’d be placed on the 2026 ballot as referendums.

HOW TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION AGENDA COULD AFFECT NC

President-elect Donald Trump has said he will launch mass deportation efforts come January when he assumes office. North Carolina activists plan to push back on those efforts, and they hope incoming Gov. Josh Stein and other state Democrats will do the same, reports Avi Bajpai.

Stein has said he will wait to see the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement plan before he decides how to respond.

Some of Trump’s promises could be thwarted by logistical hurdles, reports The Charlotte Observer’s Jeff Chamer.

About 315,000 people in North Carolina’s immigrant population entered the country illegally. They make up about 3.9% of the state’s workforce, and they have a spending power of $6.7 billion. Activists said they hope Stein stands up for the immigrant community and considers its contributions to the state’s economy.

2026 SENATE RACE AFOOT

This week, North Carolina’s Republican Sen. Thom Tillis plans to kick off a 2026 reelection campaign with a fundraising event, Axios reported.

Early indications show Tillis could face a formidable challenge in the Republican primary. The North Carolina GOP voted to censure him in 2023 after he worked across party lines on issues like gun safety and immigration. Last week, the lieutenant governor and losing Republican gubernatorial candidate, Mark Robinson, chimed in on Tillis’ prospects on X.

“Thom is toast,” Robinson posted, sharing his X poll that asked if Tillis should be the state’s 2026 Republican U.S. Senate nominee. Of nearly 22,000 votes, 44% picked “Absolutely NOT” and 34% picked “No.”

WHAT ELSE WE’RE WORKING ON

• A Republican state lawmaker and member of the Lumbee Tribe criticized Stein’s selection of a Cherokee chief to his transition team, reports Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan.

• President Joe Biden approved a plan for the federal government to pay a larger share of North Carolina’s Helene recovery costs long-term. Korie Dean has the details.

Today’s newsletter was by Emily Vespa. Check your inbox tomorrow for more #ncpol.

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This story was originally published December 10, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Under the Dome: Courts asked to intervene in voter challenges; veto override uncertain."