NCGOP’s new voting bill pulled directly from ‘Big Lie’ Trump lawyer’s election organization

North Carolina Republicans, working in lock-step with Donald Trump’s election deniers, have just introduced their latest assault on democracy – a bill that will make it even harder for North Carolinians to vote.

According to The News & Observer, NCGOP leaders introduced Senate Bill 747, which implements stricter election rules, after consulting with “Big Lie” propagator Cleta Mitchell, a lawyer instrumental in the unsuccessful efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The legislation mirrors, sometimes word-for-word, language advocated by national anti-voting extremists. Senate Bill 747 is pulled directly from Trump election deniers’ playbook, including provisions to throw out formerly valid mail-in votes, gut same-day registration, and impose other burdensome changes on election officials, while outlawing private funding that would help pay for the implementation of the new rules and requirements.

One of the biggest changes included in the bill is one that would require all absentee ballots to be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted. Current state law allows for ballots to arrive up to three days after the election as long as they were postmarked on or before Election Day.

Senate leader Phil Berger denied that Mitchell or her “Election Integrity Network” (EIN) had any role or impact on drafting the legislation.

Lee County GOP chairman and North Carolina EIN’s (NCEIN) chapter leader Jim Womack told The News & Observer he and his team met multiple times with Republicans in the state Senate to discuss election laws.

Womack claimed that Republican leaders “were just receiving input” from EIN.

According to leaked internal documents obtained by WRAL, SB 747 “largely matches up with the official legislative agenda of [EIN].” 

The documents also showed that, out of 17 suggestions by either EIN or NCEIN, 71% of them were either included in the bill or were already law.

What this legislation makes clear is that the NCGOP is aware that their extreme agenda is unpopular, therefore, in order to implement their legislative goals, they will first need to change fair election laws to make it harder for average working people to vote. 

Republicans are constantly changing the rules to keep their grip on power – something that a political party with popular ideas would not need to do.

Womack has essentially admitted that already, saying that allowing more people to vote is bad for Republicans.

“I fundamentally disagree,” that “it’s a good thing for conservatives if more people vote,” Womack said.

Senate Bill 747 would become effective once passed, meaning that all changes would need to be implemented and new rules adhered to by this fall’s municipal elections.