Republican National Committee v. North Carolina State Board of Elections 

Voting Rights
voter purging, voter registration application ripped
ELECTION PROTECTION  |  ONGOING

Case Summary

Filed 09/04/2024
Updated 10/02/2024

The North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP and two impacted North Carolina voters requested to intervene in a case to protect nearly a quarter of a million voters from the Republican National Committee’s and North Carolina Republican Party’s baseless attempt to force the State Board of Elections to remove them from the state’s voter rolls on the eve of the 2024 presidential election. The action was filed in the Wake County Superior Court on Aug. 23 against the State Board of Elections. The voters and the NAACP are represented by Southern Coalition for Social Justice in partnership with co-counsel from the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Mayer Brown. 

The Democratic National Committee successfully intervened as a defendant in the case on Aug. 30, and the State Board of Elections removed the case to federal court on Sept. 23.  

On Sept. 30, the federal district court for the Eastern District of North Carolina denied SCSJ’s request to intervene. On the same day, the State Board of Elections filed a motion to dismiss the case. The Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party filed an emergency motion to remand to state court on Oct. 1, and both of these pending motions will be addressed by the Court at a hearing scheduled for Oct. 17. 

Why it's Important

The lawsuit would jeopardize eligible voters’ right to cast a ballot based on nothing more than a reckless, fatally flawed “analysis” of the voter registration rolls. This litigation falsely claims election results are being swayed by illegal ballots — a conspiracy theory for which there is no evidence.  

In addition to being unreasonable and risking the voting rights of hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians, the relief requested by the North Carolina Republican Party and RNC plaintiffs is also prohibited by state and federal law.

Other Related Cases

Republican National Committee v. North Carolina State Board of Elections, et. al.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) and the North Carolina Republican Party filed a complaint on Sept. 12 to stop University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) students from using their digital Mobile One Cards as identification cards to vote in the 2024 election.

Learn More

Lackey v. Stinnie

SCSJ and others called on the United States Supreme Court as amici curiae to preserve everyday people’s ability to fight for their civil rights in court, no matter their income or resources.

Learn More