The board that oversees elections and government ethics in North Carolina has no members because Gov. Roy Cooper hasn’t appointed anyone as he continues his court challenge against the law merging the two boards. On Friday, the N.C. Court of Appeals rejected Cooper’s latest request to put on hold the law creating the State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement. That law was passed in a December special session of the legislature and revised in April in response to court rulings. Cooper’s lawsuit argues the change in the elections board violates the constitutional separation of powers.
The April law divides the merged elections board and ethics commission equally among Republicans and Democrats – a change from the previous elections board, which was controlled by the governor’s party. Cooper is to select the new board members from lists compiled by the two parties.
So far, he hasn’t done so. The N.C. Republican Party submitted its list of six candidates for the board in April, but the N.C. Democratic Party has not announced any selections for the board. “We are going to let the court process play out,” party spokesman Robert Howard said Friday.
Full Article: NC elections board without members until Gov. Roy Cooper makes appointments | News & Observer.