Rep. Stevens files election and campaign finance bill in North Carolina House

A new bill filed by State Rep. Sarah Stevens seeks to improve election administration and campaign finance laws in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 958 on April 10 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Election Law Changes.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill makes several changes to election administration and campaign finance laws in North Carolina. It prohibits the State Board from using its role to favor any political party in voter education efforts. It modifies the handling of challenged ballots, stating that ballots from voters who died before the opening of polls on election day will not be counted. Starting Jan. 1, 2026, party designations on ballots must be in the same font as candidate names. The requirement for early voting sites is set to one per every 30,000 registered voters, emphasizing geographic diversity. It mandates a sample hand-to-eye count of ballots for a statistically significant result and adjusts timing for counting and processing absentee ballots. Campaign finance reporting thresholds for contributions are increased to $2,000, with adjustments for inflation every election cycle. Additionally, the bill adds provisions for curing deficiencies in absentee ballots and sets deadlines for announcing ballot counts.

Of the two sponsors of this bill, Stevens proposed the most bills (29) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Stevens graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1981 with a BS and again in 1986 from Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law with a JD.

Stevens, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2009 to represent the state’s 90th House district, replacing previous state representative Jim Harrell.