The bottom line is that the Republicans were fine with the powers they seek to curtail when one of them was governor.  For those unfamiliar with the American electoral system, the concern for control of the election boards underlines the degree of partisan manipulation -- we would call it corruption -- of the electoral process at the state level (which controls US federal elections as well).  It appears that things have only gotten worse in NC since we completed our graduate studies in political science there (with great gratitude for the support we received) and came home to Canada many years ago.  Electoral reform has to take place state by state.