RALEIGH, N.C. (Legal Newsline) - A new lawsuit targets North Carolina law that prevents voters who haven't sworn their allegiance to a political party from serving on the State Board of Elections.
Common Cause and four individuals filed suit Aug. 2 in federal court against Timothy Moore, the speaker of the state House of Representatives, and Phillip Berger, president pro tempore of the Senate.
The law it targets says unaffiliated voters can't serve on the Board of Elections, which has the power to promulgate the rules for the conduct of elections, appoint four of the five members of each of the 100 county boards of elections and remove members of local boards for misconduct, among many other functions.
"The General Assembly, nevertheless, has enacted laws denying plaintiffs and all other unaffiliated voters the opportunity to be appointed to the State Board and participate in the supervision, management, and administration of these elections, solely because they are not registered as Democrats or Republicans," the suit says.
"This statutory ban on unaffiliated voters serving on the State Board disqualifies millions of citizens from the opportunity to serve on the State Board."
Edwin Speas of Poyner Spruill and Michael Crowell are representing the plaintiffs.