Rep. Cohn files bill in North Carolina House to reform electoral process

A new bill filed by State Rep. Bryan Cohn seeks to improve North Carolina’s electoral system by promoting transparency, fairness, and voter access through various reforms, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 788 on April 3 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Fix Our Democracy.’

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

In essence, this bill proposes comprehensive reforms to improve transparency, fairness, and accessibility in North Carolina’s electoral process. Key provisions include constitutional amendments to implement a nonpartisan redistricting process, changes to ensure nonpartisan judicial elections, and measures to enhance the legislator-to-lobbyist “revolving door” restrictions by extending the waiting period to two years. The bill also introduces online and automatic voter registration systems at certain government agencies and mandates live video streaming of legislative sessions and committee meetings to promote transparency. It reestablishes a public campaign financing option for judicial candidates, restricts influence from Super PACs, and imposes stricter campaign finance disclosure requirements. Additionally, it prohibits the purging of voter rolls without confirmed change of address and restores voting rights to individuals released from active punishment or serving non-prison sentences. The effective dates vary across its different parts, with some measures starting as early as July 1, 2025, or for elections occurring in 2026 and beyond.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Allen Buansi proposed the most bills (20) 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.

Cohn, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 32nd House district, replacing previous state representative Frank Sossamon.