In making his case for new voter restrictions, a WNC Republican state senator avoided Donald Trump-backed election conspiracies instead citing home-grown fraud.
North Carolina Sen. Warren Daniel also told the Citizen Times in a July 14 interview that his meeting with a controversial top Trump election lawyer did not affect the language of Senate Bill 747, which he co-sponsored. Daniel, who represents eastern Buncombe, as well as McDowell and Burke Counties, said he believed SB747, the requirements of which include absentee ballot signature verification, would pass by "early fall."
The bill passed the Senate and now must be approved in the House. Both chambers are controlled by a GOP majority big enough to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto.
Critics say the proposed law panders to false fraud claims and could make North Carolina absentee ballot rules the strictest in the nation. Initial costs for software and implementation have been estimated at $17 million, followed by up to $4 million annually.
"It's a terrible bill that will make it harder for people to vote, end of story," said Democratic Sen. Julie Mayfield, who represents western Buncombe. "It caves to many of the conspiracy theories from the 2020 election and makes election administration more difficult without any promise of additional resources."
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