Under the Dome: It’s Election Day again in NC
Good morning! ☀️ Here’s what you need to know in North Carolina politics today.
The general election isn’t until November, but there’s one more election to get through before ballots are set. The second primary election, also known as a runoff, is today in North Carolina.
Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections, told reporters in a briefing on Monday that because turnout in runoffs are usually low, some voting precincts are combined to reduce costs. She said that voters should check their assigned polling place using the Board of Elections’ voter lookup tool online. Nearby precincts can be consolidated, she said, and local elections boards have already made those decisions.
“All too often, we see low turnout in second primary elections, yet votes cast in these contests will decide the nominees of the Republican Party for the general election in these particular contests. So get out there and vote,” Brinson Bell said.
Four Republican candidates for statewide office are on all ballots: Jim O’Neill and Hal Weatherman in the GOP’s runoff for lieutenant governor, and Jack Clark and Dave Boliek in the GOP’s runoff for state auditor.
The winner of the LG and auditor runoffs will face Democratic state Sen. Rachel Hunt and Democratic State Auditor Jessica Holmes in the general election.
Brinson Bell said that turnout in the first primary was about 24% of eligible voters.
Polls close today at 7:30 p.m. and detailed results will post on the State Board of Elections website. We’ll also have everything you need to know about the results of the election here at newsobserver.com. – Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan
Keep reading for more from our politics team and correspondent Stephanie Loder.
UNC-CHAPEL HILL SEEKS TO MOVE DEI FUNDS TO PUBLIC SAFETY
The UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees on Monday unanimously moved to divert $2.3 million in funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs to instead fund public safety.
The decision was made ahead of an anticipated statewide policy change that restricts DEI. The UNC Board of Governors is expected to vote next week on restricting DEI statewide. The board’s governance committee last month passed that policy, which won’t take effect until it is approved by the full board.
Trustees board Chair David Boliek told The News & Observer the reallocation of funds will likely mean an elimination of jobs at the university, where he says there is “administrative bloat.”
Trustee Marty Kotis said the need for money for university law enforcement is clear following recent pro-Palestinian campus protests.
It is unclear how the reallocation of DEI funds will affect employees currently working in DEI positions.
Get the full story from Kyle Ingram and Korie Dean here.
NC PREGNANCY DEATHS DECLINE BUT NUMBERS REMAIN HIGH
New mortality data released earlier this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show an overall dip nationwide and in North Carolina in pregnancy-related deaths from 2021 to 2022.
However, the pregnancy-related death rate in North Carolina is roughly 18 points higher than the national rate.
Here’s what the CDC data shows:
Fewer women in North Carolina died in 2022 from pregnancy-related complications.
Pregnancy-related deaths in 2022 were much higher than in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, 63 women died from pregnancy-related complications in North Carolina, down from 82 deaths in 2021.
The first year of widespread vaccinations against COVID-19 was in 2021.
A joint investigation by The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer detailed how pregnancy can be dangerous for women in North Carolina. Experts say they are worried about the state’s maternal health trends.
Get the full story from Tyler Dukes here.
REV. BILLY GRAHAM STATUE UNVEILING THIS WEEK
The long-awaited statue of world-renowned evangelist Rev. Billy Graham is scheduled to be unveiled Thursday in the U.S. Capitol.
Graham, a Baptist minister, Charlotte native and Congressional Gold Medal winner, died in 2018. He was 99.
Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, said in a news release that his father would be “humbled and grateful.”
Billy Graham’s statue replaces one of former North Carolina Gov. Charles Aycock, a white supremacist who rose to power by stifling the Black vote.
Rep. Patrick McHenry, a Republican from Lincoln County, and GOP Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd worked to expedite Graham’s statue.
The statue is being unveiled as part of the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall Collection, during a private ceremony attended by Graham’s family, House Speaker Mike Johnson and members of Congress.
Get the full story from Danielle Battaglia here.
That’s all for today. Check your inbox tomorrow for more #ncpol news.
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