June 16, 2026
URGENT!
Voter Suppression AGAIN
NC Legislature Moves on H 958: Election Laws Changes
Hello Indivisible Citizens of Catawba Valley,
We’re sending Take Action Tuesday early this week, on Monday, because of the URGENT time-critical nature of this action request.
H 958, “Election Law Changes,” was originally drafted on April 10, 2025. It was reviewed in several committees, with changes made in June and July, and was then referred to the House Committee on Election Law on September 25, 2025. While we had hoped it would remain there, on Friday evening it was placed on the schedule for THIS TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2026. The current schedule calls for H 958 to go to Election Law Committee at 10:00 this Tuesday; then, if favorable, it will go to House Rules at 2:30 PM. It could go to the House floor for a vote as early as Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday.
This is a sweeping 36-page bill with broad implications for voting rights in North Carolina. There are a few positives, including additional days for voters to cure deficiencies, and additional training for poll workers. On the other hand, there are also provisions of concern. We read the entire 36 pages for you. Here’s what you need to know.
WHAT TO DO
Please feel free to share this information with your family and friends. The more we educate people about what is happening with our elections and our government, the better we can protect democracy.
Call your NC state representatives and tell them you OPPOSE this bill as written. It is an effort at more and worse voter suppression. This bill would, among other things:
Ban state and county Board of Elections members from any “written or oral statements intended for general distribution or dissemination to the public at large encouraging or promoting voter turnout in any election.” Page 21, Section 3.1.(a) G.S. 16-19(g)(7) and Section 3.1.(b) G.S. 163-30(g)(3)
Ban rank choice voting: G.S. “No rank choice voting may be used in any primary or election.” Page 10, Section 2.4.(a) Article 14A of G.S. 163-165.6A
Reduce campaign finance transparency by increasing the dollar threshold for reporting “dark” money contributions and media expenditures, while waiving reporting for the rest. Pages 26-27, Sections 5.1.(a) and5.1 (b) G.S. 173-278.!0A.
Call or e-mail members of the House Election Law Committee and DEMAND that they NOT move this bill forward.
If you feel so inclined, there is a call to “Pack the Gallery” in Raleigh on Tuesday from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. This is a difficult ask for those of us in Western NC, but we wanted to pass it on. https://www.mobilize.us/ncdems/event/972754/
HOW TO DO IT
Go to https://www.ncleg.gov/FindYourLegislators
Enter your home address to link to contacts for your NC Senator and Representative. This is CRITICAL. If this bill makes it through the assigned committees, which is likely, it will go before the full House soon!
The House Elections Committee member list is available here: https://www.ncleg.gov/Committees/CommitteeInfo/HouseStanding/21
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Our analysis comes from a reading of the bill itself. You can find the original text, as well as the Proposed Committee Substitute (essentially proposed amendments), at
https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/h%20958. The most recent version is not published yet, but Carolina Forward has the full text at https://carolinaforward.org/images/hb-958-pcs.pdf
(Above citations from Carolina Forward version).
This bill is huge and there are other provisions, including changes to ballot counting, absentee and provisional ballot procedures, preventing some overseas citizens from voting, automatically declining registration if an individual refuses to answer the citizenship question when registering to vote – perhaps due to an inability to understand the question, and many more. It allows for more challenges to voter legitimacy, both before and after an election, as well as beginning the process of signature matching, which is fraught with concern.
Thank you for everything you do to protect our democracy!
ICCV Legislative Committee
“With Liberty and Justice for ALL”