RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina's primary elections for 2022 will likely remain scheduled for May 17, as Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a bill Friday that would have moved them to June.
The reason the date is in question at all is an ongoing court case over the political district maps that Republican lawmakers recently drew, and which Democrats have called unconstitutional gerrymanders. The court already pushed the primary back once, from its usual March date. Cooper said the decision should remain up to the court, not the legislature.
"The constitutionality of congressional and legislative districts is now in the hands of the North Carolina Supreme Court and the court should have the opportunity to decide how much time is needed to ensure that our elections are constitutional," Cooper, a Democrat, said in a press release announcing his veto.
