Latest news with #partisanElections
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ayotte vetoes partisan elections for school offices
Calling it a 'system that is not broken,' Gov. Kelly Ayotte vetoed legislation to allow any city or town to hold partisan school district elections. House chair urged lawmakers to let school races be partisan House Election Laws Chairman Ross Berry, R-Weare, had been a big supporter of the bill to allow any city or town to decide their school district elections would be partisan. Gov. Kelly Ayotte vetoed the bill Monday. The Republican-led Legislature had approved the bill (HB 356) largely along party lines, after its supporters maintained that it would help voters know the political affiliations of candidates on the ballot. 'This attempts to solve the low voter turnout in smaller towns. High voter turnout is good for democracy,' House Election Laws Committee Chairman Ross Berry, R-Weare, told a Senate panel in May. 'Non-partisan elections often enable candidates to disguise their true intentions. This bill would assist voters in understanding what or who they are voting for.' Ayotte said the change could be counter-productive. 'Local school board elections are run properly and in a nonpartisan manner, and there is no need to fix a system that is not broken. Making these local elections into partisan fights will create unnecessary division between Granite Staters,' Ayotte wrote in her veto message. 'For the reason stated above, I have vetoed House Bill 356.' Two-term Rep. Robert Wherry, R-Hudson, authored the bill. The solid opposition from House and Senate Democrats will ensure Ayotte would win this veto override fight since it would need two-thirds to override her decision. The House passed the bill on an unrecorded vote of 200-173, which just about mirrored the Republican vs. Democratic attendance in the House on March 27. In May, the Senate Election Laws and Municipal Affairs Committee surprisingly recommended the bill be killed by a 3-2 count. School board lobby stayed neutral When it reached the full Senate days later, however, a move to kill it failed, 13-10, with all GOP senators present voting to keep the bill alive and all Senate Democrats wanting to turn it down. Sen. Kevin Avard, R-Nashua, was absent for that vote. Barrett Christina, executive director of the New Hampshire School Boards Association, said the group took no position on the matter. A partisan election provision for town elections has been a law since 1970, though it has rarely been used, he said. 'Less politics in school is a good thing' Christina said. 'The availability of certain political parties to caucus behind closed doors raises significant concerns for NHSBA.' Senate's top Democrat warned partisan elections could sow more division Senate Democratic Leader Rebecca Perkins Kwoka of Perkins said a bill to allow cities and towns to make their school races partisan could lead to more division in the community. Senate Democratic Leader Rebecca Perkins Kwoka of Portsmouth had raised the argument that partisan elections could lead to more division in the community. Berry said partisanship already exists in most school elections and the bill would provide more transparency for voters. Before Berry's House committee, 10 signed up in favor of the bill and 444 against. There were even fewer signed up to take a stand on the bill before the Senate panel. What's Next: The House and Senate are likely to return to session this fall for a single day to take up Ayotte vetoes; because this is a House bill, the first test will come in that chamber. Prospects: Barring abysmal attendance by House Democrats on that day, Ayotte is highly likely to have the veto sustained. klandrigan@
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will another NC election change boot more local Democrats out of office?
Monroe voters were set to elect a new mayor and City Council this fall. Now, a new state law delays that vote and moves future elections to a partisan system in a shift that could make it harder for Democrats to compete. Monroe's changes are part of a growing number of election law revisions in North Carolina that critics say disproportionately affect Democratic candidates. Some Monroe City Council members say they weren't consulted about the change and didn't ask for it. Monroe is the only municipality in Union County now required to hold partisan elections under House Bill 3, which passed the House 62–47 and became law on June 25. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Timothy Reeder of Pitt County. In addition to requiring partisan elections for the first time, the law moves Monroe's elections to even-numbered years. The change came less than two weeks before the candidate filing period opened for municipal elections in North Carolina. To align with the new schedule, current Monroe council members and the mayor were each given an extra year in office despite not winning another election. HB3 also made elections partisan in the Village of Simpson in Pitt County, and on the Pamlico County Board of Education. Eric Heberlig, a political science professor at UNC Charlotte, said the shift could lead to greater Republican control in Monroe. In nonpartisan elections, Democratic candidates may benefit from name recognition and community reputation, he said. In partisan races, straight-ticket voting tends to boost Republicans in more conservative areas like Union County. 'Some faction of the Republican party … thinks that this is an advantage for them in having a party listed on the local election ballots in Monroe,' he said. 'And it's not just overriding local tradition, but not even consulting with local officials on what their attitude was on making that change.' Republicans are the largest group of registered voters in Union County with more than 70,000 voters, compared with 67,000 unaffiliated voters and nearly 38,000 Democratic voters, according to state election data. In Monroe, where all council members are elected citywide rather than by district, those partisan dynamics may be magnified, Heberlig said. Party identification is not the only change the city will have to make due to the new law. Holding elections during even-numbered years changes the electorate, Heberlig said. Turnout is much higher during even-numbered years when presidential elections or other federal elections take place, he said. In odd-numbered years, voters tend to be more civically engaged and vocal about local politics. 'Politicians can strategically choose when the election is in order to try to select the electorate that they think is most favorable to the outcomes they want,' Heberlig said. Monroe's change is the latest in a trend of partisan local elections in North Carolina. Last year, the Cabarrus County school board held its first partisan election due to a change in state law spearheaded by Republicans. Two incumbent Democratic school board members lost their bids for reelection, and only Republicans were elected to the board. Fifty districts in the state hold partisan elections, including in Union and Catawba counties. The General Assembly passed another bill last year that made most municipal elections in Forsyth County partisan. Another effort this year was House Bill 271, which only passed through the House and would have required municipalities in Cabarrus County to hold referendums this year to ask voters whether they want partisan elections. 'The General Assembly has frequently, over the past decade, involved itself in changing local election rules, whether it's changing the districts in city council races or changing whether it's a partisan or nonpartisan election,' Heberlig said. Monroe Mayor Robert Burns, a registered Republican, said the new law is not about getting more Republicans or Democrats in office, but rather increasing transparency. 'I don't think giving more information to voters should be a hot topic,' Burns wrote in an email to the Observer. 'As the conversation about election integrity is being elevated across the state, more municipal elections are becoming partisan. This isn't a new idea, it's a trend.' In June, Monroe council members Julie Thompson, Surluta Anthony and Franco McGee held a press conference criticizing the bill. Thompson said the council members were not aware of the bill until days before it was slated for a vote, and that members were told by the county's board of elections rather than lawmakers themselves. Anthony and McGee are both registered Democrats. The Observer reached out to all members of the Monroe City Council via email and phone call. 'I think it was actually a disgrace and a slap in the face to democracy,' Archie Hansley, the president of the Union County NAACP, told the Observer. Hansley said lawmakers should have held a referendum, spoken to Monroe residents or at least informed the council. As far as the change goes, he said he views it as a way to get more conservative Republicans elected. 'The law is actually designed to allow and open the door for a lot of MAGA extremists to take seats on city council,' Hansley said. 'It also disenfranchises a lot of the independent voters, actually stripping them of their right to be able to choose the candidate which would actually best suit their needs.' The law also changes how vacancies on the Cabarrus Board of County Commissioners will be filled. Instead of allowing commissioners to vote for a replacement, the power to fill a vacancy on the board is given to the executive committee of the departing commissioner's political party. The change follows months of controversy over a seat on the commission left vacant by current North Carolina Sen. Chris Measmer. The county faced a lawsuit after voting to appoint the Cabarrus GOP's pick to the seat and struggled to appoint a replacement after a judge barred her from taking office. After weeks of contention on the board, including accusations of corruption between commissioners, the power to appoint a replacement was eventually given to the Cabarrus County Clerk of Court, who put Commissioner Jeff Jones in the seat. Heberlig said the change allows for more partisan control over replacements and less public accountability. 'If you have the county clerk who's not a partisan appointee making the appointment, the political power brokers don't like that,' he said. 'And again, should local elected officials be chosen by political parties, not by voters themselves? Political party executive committees aren't elected officials. They're not accountable to the public.'
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Committee recommends adding party designations to Newport News City Council elections
The Newport News Charter Review Committee unanimously voted to recommend eliminating the city's prohibition on partisan primary elections for City Council candidates. The change would not add anything to the current voting process. If multiple candidates filed under the same political party run for City Council, then those candidates would be added to the existing partisan primary ballot for other races, where party designations would be visible to voters. 'By doing this, that's not going to dictate whether or not there's a primary,' committee co-chair Lee Vreeland said during Thursday's meeting. 'It's just as long as there is a primary, then it will be reflected.' Norfolk community members challenge school closure plan Ahead of a possible move out of state, Armed Forces Brewing Co.'s fundraising falls short Criticized natural gas compressor station project in Chesapeake will be reconsidered Norfolk to offer 2 hours of free deck parking, increase meter rates July 1 Virginia Beach Trail receives $24 million grant for next phase of the project The recommendation is one of a series of city charter changes the committee is presenting to the City Council for review. To change the city's charter, the City Council must ask the General Assembly to make amendments. State law bars party designations in local elections from appearing on general election ballots. Most cities in Hampton Roads are barred by their city charters from having partisan council elections, but some Virginia cities do hold primaries for those positions. The change would create a system where general election ballots do not contain party designations, but the final candidates are implied to be from different political parties. Independent candidates would still be allowed to run, and a primary would not be held for them. Vreeland said during the meeting her vote was a reflection of the community feedback voicing overwhelming support for the change. 'There has not been a single person who has said that they don't support it,' Vreeland said. 'For me, it's important that it is known that I listened.' The committee received eight emails from residents voicing support for partisan voting, along with one speaker. One came from Mary Vause, a Newport News resident who said partisan primaries minimize the risk of spoiler candidates winning a City Council seat. 'Without partisan local elections, most voters do not know the party affiliation of candidates who are running for local office, making it difficult for voters to make an informed decision' Vause wrote in an email. The vote came during the committee's last meeting before submitting its report to the City Clerk's office June 30. It will then be up to the City Council to review. City Council appointed members to the committee in April 2024 to examine the City Charter and look for areas of improvement, and its first meeting was last July. The city considered requesting several charter change amendments in 2023, but ultimately held off due to a lack of consensus. Other recommendations already approved for City Council review include having council appoint School Board members rather than hold elections, and making the mayor a full-time position, limited to two terms. However, the committee rejected recommending shifting the power to remove department heads from the city manager to the mayor, and is definitively against creating a strong mayor system in Newport News. 'If it was to imply of leave open for interpretation whether or not a full-time mayor would leave any room for a strong mayor, I would have to not vote for full-time mayor,' Vreeland said. 'I think we do need to make a statement.' Additionally, the committee opted not to make a recommendation on ranked choice voting in Newport News, because council already has the authority to adopt it without a charter adjustment. Devlin Epding, 757-510-4037,
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Monroe elections to be partisan, held on even-numbered years after passage of House Bill 3
MONROE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Monroe city leaders will have their terms extended as changes come to local elections. With the passage this week of N.C. House Bill 3 in the General Assembly, the city's elections will now take place in even-numbered years and will be held on a partisan basis. These changes apply only to the City of Monroe and do not affect other municipalities within Union County. Many other local municipalities hold elections in odd-numbered years, including those within Mecklenburg County. Earlier this month, Monroe's city council voiced their opposition to the legislation. The current terms of Monroe Mayor Robert Burns and all City Council members have been extended by one year to align with the revised election schedule. The change takes effect immediately, meaning the next municipal election in Monroe will be held in 2026, with the same staggered terms as before. A primary election will be held on March 3, 2026, and if necessary, a second primary election will be held on May 12, 2026. The general election will take place on November 4, 2026. Under the new law, Monroe municipal candidates must now run with a political party affiliation. Candidates must be registered with the Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, or Green Party at least 90 days prior to filing. The Senate passed the bill 28-17, and the House 62-47. House Bill 3 also affects the process to fill vacancies on the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners, as well as several communities in eastern North Carolina. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Newport News considers major changes to city charter
Newport News' Charter Review Committee is considering several changes to City Council, which could drastically change how city elections are conducted. The main item being considered during the committee's June 12 meeting was the idea of making City Council races partisan, which would create a partisan primary for City Council candidates. State law prohibits party designations in local elections from appearing on ballots. However, it does not prevent the city from creating a partisan primary to ensure the two final candidates that appear on the ballot are implied to be from different parties. 'We have, as it is in Newport News and other cities without partisan elections, large numbers of candidates from one ideological or partisan faction who run for office and split the vote amongst themselves,' committee member Ben Lambert said during the meeting. 'This spoiler effect has been a problem for Newport News elections for a long time.' The committee delayed the vote on whether to recommend the change to City Council to June 26, according to co-chairs Cathy Williams and Lee Vreeland. They also shot down a proposed recommendation that would shift the power to remove department heads from the city manager to the mayor. 'I feel it's overreach for City Council to be involved in that,' Williams said during the June 12 meeting. At its May 22 meeting, the committee approved a recommendation that City Council appoint school board members appointed rather than elected, and a recommendation to make the mayor a full-time position, limited to two terms. Additionally, the questions of considering ranked choice voting came up during last month's meeting. However, the committee opted not to recommend ranked choice voting. Williams declined to comment on the group's discussions surrounding potential charter changes. The committee has been working through these revisions since September, according to Williams, and has received community feedback on several of the proposed changes. The idea of appointed school board members received letters of support, along with while a full-time mayor received pushback. Feedback on ranked choice voting has also been divided. The committee will submit its final report to the city clerk on June 30, who will then provide it to City Council for review. Devlin Epding, 757-510-4037,
