The NAACP is calling on the Supreme Court to “uphold the integrity” of elections after Wednesday’s oral arguments in the Moore v. Harper case on the “independent state legislature” theory.
The case, which arose from North Carolina’s efforts to redraw congressional maps, could effectively eliminate state courts’ oversight of elections, advocates warn.
The court has never endorsed the theory in a majority opinion. Democratic voters and nonprofits against North Carolina’s redrawn map argue the GOP-controlled legislature violated the state’s constitution because the map would give Republicans an advantage in elections.
“Today is a big day for the future of our democracy. It is of utmost importance that we stand up and speak out when undemocratic forces seek to undermine our fundamental rights,” Derrick Johnson, NAACP president and CEO, said in a statement.
Wednesday’s oral arguments in Moore v. Harper came the same day an appeals court in the District of Columbia also held a hearing in Thompson, et al. v. Trump, et al., a lawsuit brought forth by the NAACP and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) in an attempt to hold former President Trump “accountable” for his role in inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
“From today’s proceedings in the Supreme Court to the hearing to hold our former president accountable for his flagrant abuses of power, checks and balances are an essential component of a functioning democracy,” Johnson said.
In October, the NAACP filed a joint amicus brief in Moore v. Harper with the NAACP North Carolina State Conference and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, among other civil rights organizations, advocating for the Supreme Court to do what’s necessary in order to protect voting rights in North Carolina and nationwide.
“Let me be clear — if we are to be the example for democracy, we must uphold the integrity of our elections,” Johnson added. “Our nation’s highest court must uphold our constitutional right to access the ballot box and ensure that unlawful and discriminatory laws aimed at undermining that right are not permitted to proliferate across the country. The NAACP will be watching closely today and will continue to advocate and organize to protect Black voters’ right to the ballot box as we have for the last 113 years.”