Today the North Carolina House passed House Bill 605, an act to “Set the date for the 2022 date for the 2022 primary as June 7, 2022; to allow the State Board of Elections to issue temporary rules for conducting the 2022 primaries and elections…”
According to the State Board of Elections, districts must be finalized by the week of February 14, just 12 days after the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in redistricting cases. This would give the courts a few days to make their decision before that deadline and would give the General Assembly little time to draw new maps if required.
House Speaker Tim Moore said, “While redistricting cases play out in court, it is imperative that North Carolina voters maintain confidence in our elections process. House Bill 605 would eliminate the potential chaos of rushing a court decision and the process of redrawing maps if required by the court.”
He continued, “Furthermore, state law requires that the General Assembly have at least 14 days to draw new districts. House Bill 605 is a common sense bill that allows the General Assembly adequate time to fulfill our constitutional responsibility.”