N.C. Voting Process Under Examination

Everything from ballot design to campaign finance reform is being scrutinized from different angles as political officials search for ways to improve future elections in North Carolina.

One change being considered is the reorganization of the ballot -- a reform supported by the state's smaller political parties. The Green Party has been working to make it easier for third parties to get on the ballot and make sure all write-in votes are counted.

In the 2000 presidential election, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader could not get on the N.C. ballot because he did not get enough signatures in by the deadline. Even write-in votes for Nader were not counted.

"We're fighting restrictive ballot access and trying to open up the ballot," Green Party volunteer Chris Hinch said. "It is a democratic principle that people have the right to vote and somebody should count those votes."

Hinch said the present system lists the Democrat and Republican candidates at the top of the ballot, which is unfair to other candidates.

"It is human nature to want to vote for the top candidates," he said.

Marc Basnight, D-Dare, president pro tem of the N.C. Senate, has proposed meeting with two of the state's other influential political leaders -- N.C. House Speaker Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg, and Governor-elect Mike Easley -- to discuss how campaign landscapes have changed in recent years and to consider possible reforms.

"The intention is to have a wide-ranging discussion about the changing face of political elections," Basnight spokesman Rob Lamme said.

He stressed Basnight's desire for increased campaign finance regulation. "(Basnight) wants to slow down the money chase," Lamme said.

But some conservatives are less than enthusiastic about campaign finance reform.

John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation, a Raleigh conservative think tank, says such reforms are unfair.

He said the proposed reforms are an effort to control the amount of money raised by challengers to a political office. "Campaign finance reform is all too often nothing more than incumbent protection reform," Hood said.

Lamme said another proposed change is the introduction of four-year terms for N.C. legislators.

"He believes such a change will allow folks to be elected and not have to turn around and immediately worry about re-election," Lamme said.

But Hood believes the consequences of increased term limits should be a concern.

"It is a horrible idea," he said. "With a term of two years, elected officials are kept on a short leash. That simply is not present with a four-year term."

But Basnight remains optimistic about the possibility of passing reform legislation as early as the next session despite the opposition.

"Anytime you have the governor, the speaker, and the president pro tem behind a proposal, it increases the odds of any bill."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.