NC GOP seeks to bar officials from promoting voter turnout in sweeping election bill

North Carolina Republicans advanced a 36-page voting overhaul that would explicitly bar state and county election officials from publicly encouraging turnout, while adding new barriers to early voting, requiring photo IDs for military and overseas voters, and giving the GOP‑controlled State Board of Elections more power to hire and fire staff. Democrats opposed the measure; it faces an uncertain path, including a likely veto from Gov. Josh Stein, and could change if the Legislature or Senate recedes on some provisions.