The US was founded on the ideals of democracy — equality, justice and fair elections that allow the people’s voice to be heard in government. For almost all of American history, elections have been safeguarded by a reliable process that has been trusted by the voters, by our society, and most importantly, by our politicians.

After the 2020 election destroyed the precedent of a peaceful transition of power, trust in this process is wavering.

The electoral system used to be the one pillar that no one questioned. There has been systemic change in terms of who could vote and how, but the fundamental process remains the same.

This disruption of 200 years of precedent has seen voting rights make their way to the courts like never before, with the Supreme Court ruling on issues like gerrymandering and the way states run their elections.

We are also seeing the advent of new bills and reforms in response to the last election, which are starting to chip away at our electoral process. One such bill is on the docket here in North Carolina, putting us at the forefront of this national issue.

The North Carolina General Assembly is currently debating over Senate Bill 749, which seeks to completely rearrange the way our state manages elections at a time when we need to uphold our process, not diminish it.

The state’s current electoral system has the governor appoint five board members from lists curated by the state’s two largest political parties. Both parties must be represented in the board, but a one-vote majority is allowed for either party. These members are then in charge of administering the state’s elections, from running voting booths to regulating campaign financing and coordinating the county boards.

If passed, the bill would completely remove the governor’s power over North Carolina elections and put election board member appointment power solely in the hands of the General Assembly. After losing complete independence in establishing electoral districts thanks to the Supreme Court, the General Assembly is making a power grab.

This bill would disrupt the delicate balance between the different branches of government in North Carolina because only the legislative branch would have the power to appoint the board and draw the election maps.

With so much power in one branch, a blank check is opened for more power to be absorbed into the legislature and for fewer safeguards to be implemented in government. North Carolina’s constitution says nothing about such a consolidation.

This is more than a partisan issue; it is the very nature of our elections that are at stake. This is the argument over who counts our ballots, who mans our polling stations and who gets to manage that process.

With so much uncertainty already surrounding one of our most sacred ideals, now is not the time for tyrannical power consolidation. Instead, it is the time for us as an electorate to read up on our issues, to inform ourselves and to prepare for the next election.

This is beyond partisanship — it is the shaping of our democracy and our future.