Announcing an NCEIT Victory
Just Completed- North Carolina Rules Review Commission today voted to deny the NC State Board of Elections petition for temporary rules to further restrict the activities of poll observers and to grant election officials discretionary powers at voting locations.
This is a huge victory for the NCEIT team and protects the training we are doing with poll observers statewide.
A huge thank you to our esteemed mentor Cleta Mitchell (CPI), Lynn Bernstein (our superb Machines and Technology Team Leader), Karen Raines (Citizen Action Network), and Andy Jackson (John Locke Foundation) for their thoughtful and supportive comments during the proceeding today. Their voices were heard loud and clear by the members of the RRC.
The final RRC votes were 7-1 in favor of rejecting the Poll Official rules (08 NCAC 10B .0101) and 8-0 in favor of rejecting the Poll Observer new rules (08 NCAC 20 .0101).
Basis for rejection in both counts was that the NCSBE failed to reach the required threshold for "findings of need." In short, the State board of Election failed to establish a fact basis to justify promulgating new rules. The RRC stopped short of assessing the quality and viability of the rules themselves- which, no doubt, would have resulted in the rules being roundly defeated.
Thanks to everyone for your public comments and involvement in this important process.