U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina
Members of a U.S. House panel on Monday debated whether some states have elections laws that disenfranchise certain voters, including people of color. Representatives split along party lines in their conclusions.
Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), chairman of the elections subcommittee of the House Administration Committee, voiced his concerns about recent voting requirement laws in states such as Georgia and Texas, as well as those that have been passed in his home state, such as Voter ID.
In, North Carolina, Republican state lawmakers introduced House Bill 782, which would have prohibited the counting of ballots received after 5 p.m. on Election Day. Currently, counties can count ballots as long as three days after Election Day, as long as they postmarked by then. The bill did not pass the House by May 13, the crossover deadline, when legislation must pass one chamber to be considered for the rest of the session.