North Carolina Consent Judgment Requires Use Of Jury Records To Remove Noncitizen Voters
Judge Jennifer Bedford approved a consent judgment in North Carolina on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, requiring records of people excused from jury duty for claiming noncitizenship be sent to the State Board of Elections.[1]
The agreement sets a schedule through 2028 for clerks to send those jury-excusal records to the elections board.[1] Under the agreement, the State Board must review each batch within 30 days, notify county boards about apparent noncitizen registrants, and refer suspected illegal voting to the State Bureau of Investigation and local district attorneys.[1] The order also requires the names of people who claimed noncitizenship on jury forms to be posted to the state board's FTP website, a provision civil rights groups say threatens privacy and chills civic participation.[1] RNC Chair Joe Gruters called the settlement a "major win for election integrity" and said it forces the state to act under a previously unenforced 2019 law.[1]
The RNC and the state Republican Party filed the lawsuit in 2024.[1] They said the State Board had not followed a 2019 statute that requires clerks to report people excused from jury duty for claiming noncitizenship.[1] At a 19-minute online hearing, Judge Bedford said information submitted to the courts should also be recognized by other agencies.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Superior Court Judge Jennifer Bedford accepted the consent judgment on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, after a 19-minute online hearing and said information submitted to the courts should also be recognized by other agencies.
- The consent judgment sets a schedule through 2028 requiring clerks of court to send records of people excused from jury duty for claiming noncitizenship to the State Board of Elections.
- Under the agreement, the State Board of Elections must, within 30 days of each batch, review voter-registration and citizenship status, notify county boards about apparent noncitizen registrants, and refer suspected illegal voting to the State Bureau of Investigation and local district attorneys.
- The consent judgment requires the list of individuals who claimed noncitizenship for jury-duty purposes to be posted on the state elections board's FTP website, a provision opposed by North Carolina Asian Americans Together and El Pueblo on privacy and chilling‑effect grounds.
- RNC Chair Joe Gruters called the settlement a 'major win for election integrity,' framing it as forcing the state to act under a previously unenforced 2019 law.
- The case stems from a 2024 RNC and state GOP lawsuit alleging the State Board had failed to comply with a North Carolina statute requiring court clerks to report noncitizens excused from jury service.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
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- On Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Superior Court Judge Jennifer Bedford accepted the consent judgment after a 19-minute online hearing, saying information submitted to the courts should also be recognized by other agencies.
- The agreement sets a schedule through 2028 for clerks of court to send records of people excused from jury duty for claiming noncitizenship to the State Board of Elections.
- Within 30 days of receiving each batch of records, the State Board must review voter-registration and citizenship status, notify county boards about any apparent noncitizen registrants, and refer suspected illegal voting to the State Bureau of Investigation and local district attorneys.
- The consent judgment requires the list of individuals who claimed noncitizenship for jury-duty purposes to be posted on the state elections board’s FTP website, a provision opposed by North Carolina Asian Americans Together and El Pueblo on privacy and chilling‑effect grounds.
- RNC Chair Joe Gruters publicly called the settlement a 'major win for election integrity,' framing it as forcing the state to act under a previously unenforced 2019 law.
- The article reiterates that the case stems from a 2024 RNC and state GOP lawsuit alleging the State Board had failed to comply with the North Carolina statute requiring court clerks to report noncitizens excused from jury service.