Bill > H788

This bill aims to comprehensively reform North Carolina's election and campaign finance systems through multiple key provisions. The bill would establish a nonpartisan redistricting process by amending the state constitution, requiring that legislative and congressional districts be drawn by an independent body rather than legislators. It would reenact nonpartisan judicial elections, requiring candidates for appellate and trial court judges to run without party affiliation. The bill extends the waiting period for former legislators becoming lobbyists from six months to two years and introduces online voter registration and automatic voter registration at government agencies. It mandates increased transparency by requiring live video and audio streaming of legislative committee meetings and requiring adequate public notice. The bill also ensures voting places on college campuses, prohibits voter roll purging, and makes significant changes to campaign finance laws, including requiring disclosure of the true source of political spending, adding transparency requirements for digital political advertisements, and protecting against foreign interference in elections. Additionally, the bill limits the influence of Super PACs, reestablishes public financing for judicial campaigns (specifically for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals races), and restores voting rights for certain individuals with previous felony convictions. The bill includes provisions for implementing these changes, sets up reporting and enforcement mechanisms, and includes a severability clause to ensure that if any part of the act is found invalid, the rest can still be implemented.

Government Affairs

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H788