INSTITUTE INDEX: Duke Energy PAC donates big to NC voting restriction sponsors

Date on which three North Carolina state senators — Warren Daniel, Ralph Hise, and Paul Newton, Republican co-chairs of the Redistricting and Elections Committee — filed Senate Bill 326 ("the Election Integrity Act"), which among other things would prevent the collection of absentee ballots after 5 p.m. on Election Day or the date of the primary regardless of when the voter mailed the ballot, unless the voter lives overseas or serves in the military: 3/18/2021

In 2020, when many places relaxed absentee voting rules due to the COVID-19 pandemic, number of states including North Carolina that counted mail-in ballots after Election Day: 20

In North Carolina, number of days after Election Day that the U.S. Supreme Court allowed absentee ballots to be received and counted last year: 9

Factor by which Biden voters were more likely than Trump voters to vote by mail: nearly 2

Amid the mail slowdown under U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a prominent Trump supporter and GOP fundraiser, percent higher mail delay complaints have been in ZIP codes where the population is more than 45% Black, indigenous, or other people of color: nearly 50

Even though absentee ballot rejection rates were down overall nationally last year, factor by which Black voters in North Carolina were more likely to have their absentee ballots rejected than white voters, according to a September 2020 analysis: 3

During last year's national uprising over the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd, amount Duke Energy pledged in grants to support "social justice and racial equity": $1 million

That same year, amount the Duke Energy PAC gave to the campaign of voting restrictions sponsor Newton, retired general counsel for the Charlotte-based power giant's utilities division: $10,800

Rank of the Duke Energy PAC among the top donors to Newton, who represents a district near Charlotte: 2*

Total amount the Duke Energy PAC has given Newton's Senate campaign to date: $26,300

Rank of the Duke Energy PAC among the top donors to voting restrictions sponsor Daniel, an attorney in private practice who represents a district in Western North Carolina: 3**

Amount the Duke Energy PAC has given Daniel's campaign to date: $27,400

Rank of the Duke Energy PAC among the top donors to bill sponsor Hise, a statistician and community college administrator who represents a district in Western North Carolina: 4***

Amount the Duke Energy PAC has given Hise's campaign to date: $28,300

Rank of Duke Energy among the top industry contributors to the bill's 17 co-sponsors, all Republicans: 2****

Amount Duke Energy has donated to the co-sponsors' Senate campaigns collectively: over $115,000

Total amount Duke Energy has contributed to the North Carolina voting restrictions' primary and co-sponsors: $197,000

Factor by which Duke Energy's giving to Republican candidates and causes has exceeded that given to Democratic ones over the past 27 years, demonstrating its tilt toward the party that backs more limited voting: more than 3

* The only organization that gave Newton more than Duke Energy PAC was the N.C. Senate Majority Fund, a leadership PAC.

** Giving Daniel more than Duke Energy PAC more were the N.C. Republican Party and N.C. Advocates for Justice, the trial lawyers' association.

*** Giving Hise more than Duke Energy PAC were the N.C. Republican Party, N.C. Health Care Facilities Association, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

**** The only industry interest that gave them more was the N.C. Association of Realtors.

(Click on figure to go to source. The contribution figures are from the National Institute on Money in Politics' FollowTheMoney.org database.)