The real threat to election integrity in North Carolina
Published September 26, 2024
By Capitol Broadcasting Company
We’re witnessing with growing concern, Republican leaders launching a barrage of lawsuits against North Carolina election officials - the very people tirelessly working to ensure free, fair and secure elections. The latest salvo - challenging the use of UNC-Chapel Hill digital IDs for voting - is part of a pattern eroding public confidence in our democratic process. Make no mistake: It's not election systems that are the problem. It's the cynical attempts to undermine them for partisan gain
Recent polling shows half of the state’s registered Republican voters have little or no confidence votes in the 2024 election will be accurately counted. This is a stark contrast to the vast majority of Democrats and unaffiliated voters who express confidence in our election system. This lack of confidence is misplaced and dangerous.
North Carolina has some of the strongest election security regulations and practices in the nation. There’s paper trails for every vote cast. Results are subject to numerous audits, as required by law. Voting machines are not connected to the internet. There is a transparent system where nearly every part of the election process is open to public scrutiny.
Yet instead of educating voters about these safeguards, Republican leaders fuel distrust with questionable legal challenges. While the lawsuit against UNC digital IDs is the latest example, even more egregious is the recent challenge to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the ballot.
In a stunning display of political contortions, Republicans initially fought to keep Kennedy on the ballot. Then, when he suspended his campaign in North Carolina (but not in other states) days later, they wanted it removed. The State Board of Elections, citing state law, determined it was too late. Republicans then sued to force removal, believing it would benefit their nominee.
When a majority of the Republicans on the state Supreme Court sided with them, it threw the state’s election preparations into chaos, delaying the mailing of absentee ballots and costing taxpayers millions to reprint ballots.
These flop-flops and legal games aren’t about election integrity but rather manipulating the system for partisan advantage. It has real consequences. The constant barrage of baseless claims and lawsuits erodes faith in our democratic institutions and makes the job of election officials increasingly difficult.
As citizens, we must see these tactics for what they are - a disservice to our democracy. We encourage every North Carolinian to volunteer as a poll worker or attend a county canvassing meeting. See firsthand the dedication and integrity of our election officials. Witness the numerous checks and balances built into our system including bipartisan boards working together to ensure fairness and accuracy.
The real threat to election integrity isn't from dedicated election officials or imaginary fraud. It's from those who would rather sow doubt than accept results that don't go their way.
NOTE: Damon Circosta served as chair of the State Board of Elections, a bipartisan state agency that oversees voting in North Carolina, from 2019 to 2023. Circosta is executive director of the A.J. Fletcher Foundation. James Goodmon, Capitol Broadcasting Company CEO, is the foundation board's chairman.
