GOP Bill Brings Major Changes to North Carolina Elections

North Carolina's Republican-backed bill, likely to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto, proposes significant changes to voting rules. The bill eliminates the three-day grace period for counting mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day and expands access for partisan poll watchers. Democrats have raised concerns about voter intimidation, while Republicans argue the changes will restore public faith in election integrity. Despite opposition, Democrats worked with Republicans to soften the legislation's impact. Republicans in North Carolina have been flexing their political power through redistricting and voting laws, with a 5-2 majority on the state Supreme Court now sympathetic to their positions.