Republican Party Seeks Preliminary Injunction of Poll Observer Restrictions & Absentee Deadline

Republican Party Seeks Preliminary Injunction of Poll Observer Restrictions & Absentee Deadline

September 19, 2022

For Immediate Release

RALEIGH, N.C. – Late last week, the North Carolina Republican Party, in conjunction with the Republican National Committee and Clay County GOP Chair Barbara Deas, filed a motion for preliminary injunction in Wake County. The motion was filed in the lawsuit brought last week against the North Carolina State Board of Elections over the Board’s unconstitutional efforts to restrict poll observers and extend the absentee by-mail deadline.

See the full motion here. 

The motion asks the presiding judge to “enjoin [the State Board] from enforcing unlawful regulations and written guidance in the upcoming 2022 general election.”

Specifically, the GOP claims the State Board’s imposition of the four-hour restriction to at-large poll observers and the State Board’s unilateral change of the deadline for absentee by-mail ballots "go beyond the Board’s statutory authority, violate due process rights, and infringe on the Legislature’s authority to set elections procedures under the U.S. Constitution." This “preliminary relief is necessary to instill confidence that the [State Board] will act with transparency and within the rule of law in the impending 2022 general election.”

With only 31 days remaining until the start of early voting for the 2022 General Election, allowing the State Board to continue enforcing these unlawful measures will cause irreparable harm unless stopped by a judge; accordingly, the GOP has requested an expedited hearing on this matter.

Election integrity is consistently ranked as a top priority among North Carolinians. However, the partisan State Board of Elections is once again using tricks to undermine the integrity of our elections, causing more voter confusion and doubt.

"Transparency in the electoral process is critical - and the Board of Election's insistence on adopting regulations that will make it harder to observe elections is inexplicable," said NCGOP Chairman Michael Whatley. "The NCGOP is pursuing this lawsuit to protect transparency and our elections."

It is the mission of the NCGOP to ensure this and every election conducted in this state, be done so in accordance with the law. This is one of many actions initiated by the North Carolina Republican Party this cycle in an effort to restore voter confidence and assure election integrity.