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North Carolina Proposes Constitutional Amendment Requiring Governor to Fill Council of State Vacancies from Party-Submitted Lists
Original title: Const. Amendment: Council of State Vacancies.
Last action · May 20, 2026: Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate (Senate action)Sponsors: Kyle Hall and 14 others
Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law
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What This Bill Would Do
House Bill 443 requires the Governor to fill vacancies in elected positions by choosing from a list of three candidates submitted by the political party of the former officeholder, subject to voter approval in November 2026.
Why it matters
Changes how vacancies are filled for eight statewide elected executive offices by limiting the Governor's unilateral appointment power if the vacating officer belonged to a recognized political party.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Directly affected
Political parties in North Carolina
Political parties gain the authority to submit a list of three qualified nominees to the Governor when a vacancy occurs in an office held by a member of their party.
Directly affected
North Carolina voters
Voters will decide whether to adopt the constitutional amendment via a statewide ballot referendum on November 3, 2026.
Directly affected
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor's appointment power is restricted by being required to choose replacement appointees from a party-submitted list rather than exercising sole discretion.
Key Facts
- Applies to vacancies in the offices of Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Labor, and Commissioner of Insurance.
- Requires the Governor to appoint a replacement from a list of three qualified persons recommended by the political party of the vacating officer, provided the party makes recommendations within 30 days.
- The proposed constitutional amendment will be submitted to North Carolina voters at the statewide general election on November 3, 2026.
- The State Board of Elections is tasked with certifying the results of the referendum.
Show all 5 facts
- If approved by a majority of votes cast, the constitutional amendment takes effect upon certification of the election results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which offices are affected by this bill?
The bill affects the offices of Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Labor, and Commissioner of Insurance.
When will voters decide on this amendment?
Voters will consider the constitutional amendment at the statewide general election on November 3, 2026.
How long does a political party have to submit replacement candidates?
A political party has 30 days from the occurrence of the vacancy to submit a list of three qualified recommendations to the Governor.
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
17 actions- May 20, 2026SenateRef To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
- May 20, 2026SenatePassed 1st Reading
- May 20, 2026SenateSpecial Message Received From House
- May 20, 2026HouseSpecial Message Sent To Senate
- May 20, 2026HousePassed 3rd Reading
- May 20, 2026HousePassed 2nd Reading
Show 11 earlier actions
- May 20, 2026HouseAmend Failed A1
- May 19, 2026HousePlaced On Cal For 05/20/2026
- May 19, 2026HouseCal Pursuant Rule 36(b)
- May 19, 2026HouseReptd Fav
- Apr 15, 2025HouseRe-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
- Apr 15, 2025HouseReptd Fav
- Apr 1, 2025HouseRe-ref Com On State and Local Government
- Apr 1, 2025HouseReptd Fav
- Mar 20, 2025HouseRef to the Com on Judiciary 1, if favorable, State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
- Mar 20, 2025HousePassed 1st Reading
- Mar 18, 2025HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Voting Record
A1 Smith, Charles Second Reading
Total
116
- Yes
- 46
- No
- 69
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 1
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (116)
Donny LambethParty not recordedno
Brian BiggsParty not recordedno
Ben MossParty not recordedno
Laura BuddParty not recordedyes
Alan BransonParty not recordedno
Allen BuansiParty not recordedyes
Vernetta AlstonParty not recordedyes
Julia HowardParty not recordedno
Allison DahleParty not recordedyes
John LoweryParty not recordedno
Donna WhiteParty not recordedno
Jonathan AlmondParty not recordedno
Beth Gardner HelfrichParty not recordedyes
Larry StricklandParty not recordedno
Kyle HallParty not recordedno
von HaefenParty not recordedyes
Jeff ZengerParty not recordedno
Mary BelkParty not recordedyes
Donnie LoftisParty not recordedno
Charles SmithParty not recordedyes
Mike ColvinParty not recordedyes
John BellParty not recordedno
Brian EchevarriaParty not recordedno
Monika Johnson-HostlerParty not recordedyes
92 more members
Carson SmithParty not recordedno
Ted DavisParty not recordedno
Robert ReivesParty not recordedyes
Erin ParéParty not recordedno
Tim ReederParty not recordedno
Ya LiuParty not recordedyes
Wyatt GableParty not recordedno
Harry WarrenParty not recordedno
Neal JacksonParty not recordedno
Grant CampbellParty not recordedno
Dennis RiddellParty not recordedno
Larry PottsParty not recordedno
Aisha DewParty not recordedyes
Lindsey PratherParty not recordedyes
Eric AgerParty not recordedyes
Sarah CrawfordParty not recordedyes
Mitchell SetzerParty not recordedno
Zack HawkinsParty not recordedyes
Becky CarneyParty not recordedyes
Abe JonesParty not recordedyes
Amber BakerParty not recordedyes
Deb ButlerParty not recordedyes
Rodney PierceParty not recordedyes
Tim LongestParty not recordedyes
Marcia MoreyParty not recordedyes
Jeff McNeelyParty not recordedno
Terry BrownParty not recordedyes
Frances JacksonParty not recordedyes
Frank IlerParty not recordedno
Blair EddinsParty not recordedno
Celeste CairnsParty not recordedno
Bill WardParty not recordedno
Steve TysonParty not recordedno
Stephen RossParty not recordedno
Amos QuickParty not recordedyes
John BlustParty not recordedno
Jordan LopezParty not recordedyes
Shelly WillinghamParty not recordedabsent
Sam WatfordParty not recordedno
Hugh BlackwellParty not recordedno
Jimmy DixonParty not recordedno
Keith KidwellParty not recordedno
Diane WheatleyParty not recordedno
Todd CarverParty not recordedno
Dudley GreeneParty not recordedno
Cynthia BallParty not recordedyes
Joe PikeParty not recordedno
Dean ArpParty not recordedno
Amanda CookParty not recordedyes
Kelly HastingsParty not recordedno
Mark BrodyParty not recordedno
John SaulsParty not recordedno
Ray JeffersParty not recordedyes
James RobersonParty not recordedyes
Julia GreenfieldParty not recordedyes
Pricey HarrisonParty not recordedyes
Gloristine BrownParty not recordedyes
Paul ScottParty not recordedno
Brandon LoftonParty not recordedyes
Allen ChesserParty not recordedno
Mike SchietzeltParty not recordedno
Carolyn LoganParty not recordedyes
Matthew WinslowParty not recordedno
Mark PlessParty not recordedno
Jennifer BalkcomParty not recordedno
Phil ShepardParty not recordedno
Bryan CohnParty not recordedyes
Tracy ClarkParty not recordedyes
Charlie MillerParty not recordedno
Howard PennyParty not recordedno
Phil RubinParty not recordedyes
Anna FergusonParty not recordedno
Ed GoodwinParty not recordedno
Jake JohnsonParty not recordedno
Brian TurnerParty not recordedyes
Garland PierceParty not recordedyes
Renée PriceParty not recordedyes
Karl GillespieParty not recordedno
Reece PyrtleParty not recordedno
David WillisParty not recordedno
Jay AdamsParty not recordedno
John TorbettParty not recordedno
Brenden JonesParty not recordedno
Cody HuneycuttParty not recordedno
Tricia CothamParty not recordedno
Ray PickettParty not recordedno
William BrissonParty not recordedno
Maria CervaniaParty not recordedyes
Heather RhyneParty not recordedno
Dante PittmanParty not recordedyes
Chris HumphreyParty not recordedno
Kanika BrownParty not recordedyes
Show 1 earlier roll call
Second Reading
Total
116
- Yes
- 69
- No
- 46
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 1
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (116)
Allen BuansiParty not recordedno
Julia HowardParty not recordedyes
Matthew WinslowParty not recordedyes
Sarah CrawfordParty not recordedno
Dean ArpParty not recordedyes
Eric AgerParty not recordedno
Jake JohnsonParty not recordedyes
Kelly HastingsParty not recordedyes
Amos QuickParty not recordedno
Zack HawkinsParty not recordedno
Brandon LoftonParty not recordedno
Terry BrownParty not recordedno
Jeff ZengerParty not recordedyes
Beth Gardner HelfrichParty not recordedno
Ed GoodwinParty not recordedyes
Karl GillespieParty not recordedyes
Reece PyrtleParty not recordedyes
Dante PittmanParty not recordedno
Anna FergusonParty not recordedyes
Celeste CairnsParty not recordedyes
Erin ParéParty not recordedyes
Donna WhiteParty not recordedyes
Mark BrodyParty not recordedyes
Larry PottsParty not recordedyes
92 more members
Wyatt GableParty not recordedyes
Kanika BrownParty not recordedno
Brian EchevarriaParty not recordedyes
Jeff McNeelyParty not recordedyes
Ted DavisParty not recordedyes
Donny LambethParty not recordedyes
Robert ReivesParty not recordedno
Brenden JonesParty not recordedyes
Dudley GreeneParty not recordedyes
Frances JacksonParty not recordedno
Jimmy DixonParty not recordedyes
Garland PierceParty not recordedno
Harry WarrenParty not recordedyes
Jay AdamsParty not recordedyes
Pricey HarrisonParty not recordedno
Stephen RossParty not recordedyes
Mitchell SetzerParty not recordedyes
David WillisParty not recordedyes
Abe JonesParty not recordedno
Rodney PierceParty not recordedno
Paul ScottParty not recordedyes
Tim ReederParty not recordedyes
Chris HumphreyParty not recordedyes
Monika Johnson-HostlerParty not recordedno
Allison DahleParty not recordedno
Tim LongestParty not recordedno
William BrissonParty not recordedyes
Deb ButlerParty not recordedno
Amanda CookParty not recordedno
Steve TysonParty not recordedyes
Phil ShepardParty not recordedyes
Joe PikeParty not recordedyes
Grant CampbellParty not recordedyes
Charlie MillerParty not recordedyes
Amber BakerParty not recordedno
Keith KidwellParty not recordedyes
Gloristine BrownParty not recordedno
Ray JeffersParty not recordedno
Neal JacksonParty not recordedyes
Jennifer BalkcomParty not recordedyes
James RobersonParty not recordedno
Todd CarverParty not recordedyes
Blair EddinsParty not recordedyes
Alan BransonParty not recordedyes
Tracy ClarkParty not recordedno
Phil RubinParty not recordedno
Cody HuneycuttParty not recordedyes
Becky CarneyParty not recordedno
Tricia CothamParty not recordedyes
Aisha DewParty not recordedno
Heather RhyneParty not recordedyes
Laura BuddParty not recordedno
Vernetta AlstonParty not recordedno
Carolyn LoganParty not recordedno
Jordan LopezParty not recordedno
John TorbettParty not recordedyes
Frank IlerParty not recordedyes
Bill WardParty not recordedyes
Mark PlessParty not recordedyes
Howard PennyParty not recordedyes
Ben MossParty not recordedyes
Carson SmithParty not recordedyes
Lindsey PratherParty not recordedno
Brian BiggsParty not recordedyes
Diane WheatleyParty not recordedyes
Ya LiuParty not recordedno
John BlustParty not recordedyes
Jonathan AlmondParty not recordedyes
John SaulsParty not recordedyes
Mike ColvinParty not recordedno
Mary BelkParty not recordedno
Ray PickettParty not recordedyes
von HaefenParty not recordedno
Larry StricklandParty not recordedyes
Bryan CohnParty not recordedno
Sam WatfordParty not recordedyes
Marcia MoreyParty not recordedno
Dennis RiddellParty not recordedyes
Donnie LoftisParty not recordedyes
Julia GreenfieldParty not recordedno
Renée PriceParty not recordedno
Charles SmithParty not recordedno
Cynthia BallParty not recordedno
John LoweryParty not recordedyes
John BellParty not recordedyes
Maria CervaniaParty not recordedno
Mike SchietzeltParty not recordedyes
Hugh BlackwellParty not recordedyes
Shelly WillinghamParty not recordedabsent
Kyle HallParty not recordedyes
Brian TurnerParty not recordedno
Allen ChesserParty not recordedyes
Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
StevensHousePrimary sponsorNo profile match
Show 10 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
policy shift95% confidence
Shift in Executive Appointment Authority
The bill shifts appointment discretion away from the sole authority of the Governor toward formal party nomination processes for statewide executive vacancies.
Connected Entities
Sources
Open source document
www.ncleg.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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