RALEIGH, N.C. (May 13, 2025) — North Carolina legislators are yet again trying to conceal the role of “election integrity” advocates Cleta Mitchell and the North Carolina Election Integrity Team (NCEIT) in the passage of Senate Bill 747 (SB 747) — an omnibus election bill from 2023 that increased barriers to voting and targeted same-day registration, used mostly by young people and college students — but dozens of source documents filed in federal court last week show their central role.
Plaintiffs Democracy North Carolina, North Carolina Black Alliance, and the League of Women Voters of North Carolina brought a lawsuit in October 2023 challenging aspects of SB 747 as discriminating on the basis of age given the harsh impact the law would have on youth voters and the anti-youth rhetoric surrounding its passage. Their latest submission — filed Friday, May 9, 2025, by Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina — outlines the real story behind the passage of SB 747, which, evidence shows, was a coordinated effort by conservative activists to help reshape the state’s election laws, despite a lack of evidence of any widespread voter fraud.
Read the brief here and the 60+ exhibits filed in support here.
Though lawmakers denied their involvement, documents uncovered during litigation show a months-long influence campaign by James Womack, a well-connected election integrity activist and member of NCEIT, working closely with national conservative lawyer Mitchell. Their belief that young voters, particularly mobile college students, could sway elections fueled their focus on eliminating same-day voter registration. The filing is supported by hundreds of pages of records obtained thus far in the lawsuit, including communications and sworn testimony from SB 747’s legislative sponsors, the State Board of Elections, and key third parties, including Mitchell.
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Southern Coalition for Social Justice, founded in 2007, partners with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities in the South to defend and advance their political, social, and economic rights through the combination of legal advocacy, research, organizing, and communications. Learn more at southerncoalition.org and follow our work on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
The North Carolina Black Alliance is working toward state-level systemic change by strengthening the network of elected officials representing communities of color throughout the state and collaborating with progressive, grassroots networks on intersecting issues. These issues range from voting rights, gerrymandering, criminal justice reform, health and wellness, economic development to education. Learn more at ncblackalliance.org.
Democracy North Carolina is a statewide nonpartisan organization that strengthens democratic structures, builds power among disenfranchised communities, and inspires confidence in a transformed political process that works for all. Learn more at www.democracync.org.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots nonprofit dedicated to empowering everyone to fully participate in our democracy. With active Leagues in all 50 states and more than 750 Leagues across the country, we engage in advocacy, education, litigation, and organizing to protect every American’s freedom to vote. Learn more at lwv.org.