Weekend Joe - New Bill Is Another Attempt to Suppress Voters

dalton buchanan
May 11
2 min read

NC House Bill 127, currently in committee, is yet another thinly veiled attempt at voter suppression. This bill places unnecessary restrictions on how North Carolinians can register to vote.

Many trusted organizations — like the League of Women Voters and even the Henderson County Democrats — regularly host nonpartisan voter registration drives. In fact, I registered to vote at one of these events in downtown Hendersonville two years ago. These drives make registration accessible and simple, especially for people who may not be able to register online or during limited office hours.

But HB127 (not to be confused with HB217) would effectively undercut these efforts. It would ban the use of real voter registration forms at public events, replacing them with “sample” forms. These mock forms would simply include instructions for how to register, rather than actually allowing someone to register on the spot. Supporters claim this gives county election boards more oversight, but in reality, it just adds confusion and red tape.

Despite Republican claims of widespread voter fraud and non-citizens voting in our elections, the data tells a different story. It is already a Class 1 felony to falsely claim U.S. citizenship on a voter registration form, and the NC State Board of Elections (NCSBE) has systems in place to prevent and investigate fraud.

According to the NCSBE, between 2015 and 2022:

Only 674 potential voter fraud cases were investigated — that’s just 0.0024% of total ballots cast.
The highest number of cases came in 2017, when 400 potential felons were flagged.
In the past five years, only seven instances of non-citizen voting have been identified.

So, what’s the real goal of HB127? Why fix what isn’t broken? Why create a confusing new process that could lead people to believe they’ve registered when they haven’t? Why make it harder for students, newly relocated residents, and even eligible incarcerated individuals to exercise their right to vote?

The answer is as simple as it is shameful: voter suppression.

And the irony is rich. The party pushing this bill is the same party behind:

Mark Harris’s absentee ballot fraud scandal in 2018.
Jefferson Griffin’s failed legal stunt to throw out thousands of ballots.
And, of course, the widespread lies about the 2020 election at the national level.

This is not about election security. It’s about silencing voices.

📞 Call Your Lawmakers and Tell Them to Oppose HB127(Phone calls are the most effective way to make your voice heard!)