Gov. Josh Stein says he'll veto a bill that would shorten the early voting period in primaries. The change to early voting is part of a wide-ranging elections bill that passed the House Tuesday night along party lines.
The bill would reduce the early voting period in primaries and runoff elections from 17 days to 10. But it wouldn't change early voting in general elections. Republicans argue that early voting turnout in primaries is relatively low, and a longer voting period is expensive for county election offices.
House Bill 958 would also require the state auditor to conduct post-election audits. The bill calls for the auditor — currently Republican Dave Boliek — to randomly select counties for audits, reviewing things like the accuracy of voter rolls, procedures for testing voting equipment, and the handling of provisional and absentee ballots.
The bill would reduce disclosure requirements for smaller campaign donations. Campaigns would no longer need to list details of donations and expenses below $100, and the threshold for filing a "48-hour report" for last-minute campaign donations would increase from $1,000 to $2,000.
Stein said in a social media post that the bill would make it harder to vote and easier for losing candidates to overturn elections.
Your vote is how you make sure that your government actually works for you and your family. I will always defend your right to vote. I will veto House Bill 958 because it makes it harder for you to vote, introduces unnecessary chaos into our elections, and invites sore losers to…
— Governor Josh Stein (@NC_Governor) August 5, 2026
Rep. Phil Rubin, D-Wake, says the bill would enable more court challenges to election results. He compared it to the contested 2024 Supreme Court race, when Republican Judge Jefferson Griffin sought to have thousands of ballots thrown out, dragging out the election for months.
"You don't want candidates strategically filing challenges just to try and win an election," Rubin said. "We should win elections at the ballot box, not in the courtroom."
Republicans say they likely won't override a veto until November. "I don't anticipate the House and Senate being back before the election," House Speaker Destin Hall told reporters. "So if there are any vetoes, then I imagine those will have to wait until sometime in November."
Stein hasn't said if he'll sign or veto a second elections bill that passed the House on Tuesday in a 74-35 vote, with support from 11 Democrats.
That bill would change the appeals process for State Board of Elections decisions. Currently, those appeals must go to Wake County Superior Court, but the bill would allow the person appealing to file it in the county where they live.
The bill would also allow voters who need to correct their voter registration forms to do so within five days of when the election ends, up from three days.
