Elections and Ethics

The budget plan that will go to the House floor next week would move campaign finance reporting from the State Board of Elections and lobbying registration from the Secretary of State's office, combining operations in the State Ethics Commission. The move would leave the State Board of Elections overseeing only elections and voter registration. It would move 12 positions from that agency and three from the Secretary of State's office. Another six positions from the Secretary of State's lobbyist registration section would be eliminated. An attempt by Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe, to reverse the changes during a daylong meeting of the House Appropriations Committee failed. Fisher argued that the move hadn't been thought through and that the agencies had little input. House Majority Leader Paul "Skip" Stam, R-Wake, said he believed the provision was "just right" and would discourage partisanship. Beside moving the campaign finance position, the House budget would do away with the jobs of eight district election technicians who help local boards of election set up and operate elections machines. A separate provision also forbids the board from spending any Help America Vote Act funds until any state matching funds are appropriated.

State Elections Director Gary Bartlett said that he recognized that there might be a better way of organizing the functions affected by the provisions and that a debate focused on re-organization is worthwhile. But he questioned whether the moves were taking place too fast, potentially causing havoc during the 2012 elections. "It needs to be done over a period of time," Bartlett said. He said local election boards, still dealing with campaign finance issues, would be left answering to and seeking advice from two separate boards. But Bartlett said he was not caught unaware by the proposal. A bill filed in the House by Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, closely tracks the budget changes. A bill filed by Sen. Andrew Brock, R-Davie, would essentially merge the State Ethics Commission and the State Board of Elections, combining all their functions. (THE INSIDER, 4/28/11).