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Voting Rights
Early voting began on Thursday for the May 17 elections, and it will continue through May 14. For those not registered to vote at their current address, North Carolina allows same-day registration during early voting, but not on Election Day. You can find your sample ballot by looking up your voter registration record HERE.
In a red NC county, a Republican leader claims voter fraud, allegedly threatens election official: “North Carolina election officials say the chairman of the Surry County Republican Party threatened the county election director, demanded access to voting equipment and told people not to let a machine count their votes—advice that could lead to their votes being thrown out.” - Travis Fain, WRAL
Education
On Tuesday Judge Michael Robinson issued an order that North Carolina must fund the remaining $785.1 million of the plan created to resolve the Leandro education lawsuit. Robinson also removed a previous order from Judge David Lee that required a $1.7 billion budget transfer of funds regardless of budgeting decisions by the General Assembly, an order that the North Carolina Supreme Court is still scheduled to review. Lee, a Democrat, was replaced with Robinson, a Republican, as the judge in the Leandro case in March by Republican Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby.
Environmental Policy
For ‘egregious’ violations that damaged mountain streams, DEQ fines Bottomley Properties more than $268,000, one of the agency’s largest penalties: “While clear-cutting 360 acres of forest for cattle pastures in Alleghany and Surry counties, [Bottomley Evergreens & Farms and Bottomley Properties] extensively damaged more than three linear miles of streams, as well as wetlands, according to court records.” - Lisa Sorg, NC Policy Watch