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Fair Representation
On Friday Governor Cooper vetoed a bill that would push forward the state’s 2022 primary elections from May 17 to June 7. Republican legislators passed SB 605 on January 19, without any support from Democrats, to allow the GOP more time to redraw voting maps if the state Supreme Court finds recently approved voting maps unconstitutional. The court case will effectively determine the state’s voting maps through 2030. State election officials have indicated that final maps need to be in place by Feb. 18 to meet a primary date of May 17. State law requires lawmakers to have a minimum of two weeks to redraw voting maps. If the court finds that the maps need to be redrawn and chooses not to further delay the primaries, it could appoint an independent expert to draw new maps before the Feb. 18 deadline. SB 605 would have given the GOP a better chance to keep control of the redistricting process, but they are unlikely to have the votes to override the governor’s veto.
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