Candidate fillings begin with battle over political lines
{Approved current congressional map for North Carolina. The maps split the state into 50 State Senate districts, 120 House of Representatives, and 14 Congressional districts.}
The battle over political maps in North Carolina continues. The fight hit home yesterday as fillings began in Davidson County. Municipal candidates were permitted to file. The start of North Carolina candidate filing for U.S. House and legislative seats was blocked on early on Monday by an appeals court panel then restored hours later by the state Court of Appeals judges.
NC State Senator Steve Jarvis [R] said he learned about the delay when he arrived to file at The Davidson County Board of Elections. “I tried to file today but they stopped me,” Jarvis told Davidson Local moments after being denied. “They found a way at the last minute to stop filling because they [panel] don’t like the maps.”
Republican lawmakers say current maps reflect population growth in the Tar Heel state. Jarvis has previously called the process “transparent” noting that the process was broadcasted live for the first time in the state’s history.
The Princeton Gerrymandering Project gives new NC maps an ‘F’ for partisanship. According to the report. “North Carolina is one of the most extremely gerrymandered states in the nation and has been home to a decade’s worth of redistricting litigation. Although current congressional and state legislative maps have been redrawn a number of times, a pro-Republican bias remains.” The report goes on to say, “Before 2010, the Congressional map had a strong pro-Democratic bias. Following two 2019 state court decisions based on the state constitution, the Legislature redrew parts of the state legislative maps as well as the entire congressional map ahead of the 2020 elections.”
Shortly before noon, a three-judge panel [names have not been released] of the intermediate level appeals court had issued a temporary stay and told state and local officials not to begin accepting candidates for those seats. Their districts are the subject of litigation that argue the lines approved by the Republican-controlled General Assembly last month are illegal partisan gerrymanders.
There are two major lawsuits challenging the voting maps, which were approved by the Republican-led General Assembly this year. The NC NAACP and the NC League of Conservation Voters both accused Republicans of unfairly drawing maps to give them a partisan advantage.
Also on Monday, Gov. Roy Cooper [D] and Attorney General Josh Stein [D] filed an amicus brief to the North Carolina Supreme Court, petitioning the justices to quickly hear arguments on the case.
The Court of Appeals ruling, however, has no bearing on the actual merits of the challenge to North Carolina's new congressional and state legislative voting districts, which continue to move through the court process and possibly end up in the NC Supreme Court.
“There were some congressional candidates particularly that (were) caught off guard because some of them have traveled obviously across the state to get here today to be ready for filing,” State Board of Elections Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said in an interview noting that candidates like U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, who represents the Charlotte area was turned away from filling at the State Fair Grounds in Raliegh.
Republican legislators filed a motion Monday afternoon asking that the entire 15-judge Court of Appeals decide on both the temporary delay and the league's request for a longer filing postponement.
The appeals panel "has thrown the 2022 election cycle into unprecedented uncertainty—and for no good reason," the GOP's lawyers wrote, adding that a 15-judge review would "ensure that this matter receives expedient, efficient and sound process and judgment."
The majority of the full Court of Appeals issued a Court order that vacates the temporary stay and means that candidates can resume filing for political races starting Tuesday morning. The order will not halt litigation surround the maps.
To follow filings in Davidson County, visit the Board of Elections webpage for local updates.
Candidate Filing Deadlines:
County Offices and Lexington City School Board
Starting: December 6, 2021 at Noon
Ending: December 17, 2021 at Noon
Lexington City Mayor and City Council
Starting: January 3, 2022 at Noon
Ending: January 7, 2022 at Noon
Soil and Water
Starting: June 13, 2022 at Noon
Ending: July 1, 2022 at Noon
Davidson County School Board
Starting: June 13, 2022 at Noon
Ending: July 1, 2022 at Noon
