Politically divided NC court panel upholds GOP takeover of state elections board

Key Points:

• The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the legislature's 2024 law shifting election administration power from the governor to State Auditor Dave Boliek is constitutional, marking a significant GOP victory ahead of the 2026 midterms.
• Historically, the governor controlled elections in North Carolina for over a century, but Republicans have repeatedly attempted to transfer this authority, with courts and voters previously rejecting such efforts as unconstitutional.
• Democratic Governor Josh Stein, who succeeded Roy Cooper, has vowed to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court, arguing the shift politicizes election administration and undermines voter confidence.
• The appellate majority acknowledged the move was politically motivated but deemed it permissible since the power remains within the executive branch, while dissenting Justice John Arrowood criticized the decision as unconstitutional and warned of dangerous precedents.
• The ruling highlighted expectations that the elections board operate apolitically, though the dissent cited recent board actions perceived as targeting Democratic-leaning voters, with board leadership disputing those claims and affirming their commitment to impartial election administration.