The North Carolina General Assembly Lab · about 50 minutes · Finish in one sitting: reloading the page starts you over.
Mission 1: Meet the General Assembly
Congress makes laws for the whole country. North Carolina's laws come from the General Assembly in Raleigh. Flip all 6 cards.
AFlip all 6 fact cards
BSort it: Congress, NC, or both?
Use the cards above and what you know about Congress. One try each, so read carefully.
Mission 2: Your Lawmakers
All 170 seats were on the ballot on Nov. 3, 2026. Here are New Hanover County's races.
Seat
Candidates
Votes
NC Senate 7 Most of New Hanover County
DJessica Bichler RMichael Lee (incumbent)
48,310 (52.6%) 43,469 (47.4%)
NC Senate 8 Brunswick, Columbus, a small part of New Hanover
RBill Rabon (incumbent) DRick Combes LTim White
59,369 (52.2%) 51,954 (45.6%) 2,502 (2.2%)
NC House 18 Much of Wilmington
DDeb Butler (incumbent) RLatisha Grady
24,899 (70.4%) 10,460 (29.6%)
NC House 19 Southern New Hanover and coastal Brunswick
RCharlie Miller (incumbent) DScott Nasiff
29,735 (55.2%) 24,093 (44.8%)
NC House 20 Northern New Hanover and parts of Wilmington
DTim Merrick RDane Scalise Open seat (Rep. Ted Davis Jr. retired)
22,054 21,953
Unofficial results from the NC State Board of Elections, reported by WHQR and Carolina Journal, Nov. 4–5, 2026. Counties make them official on Nov. 13.
ARead the table
BRecount math
In North Carolina, the losing candidate in a General Assembly race can ask for a recount if the margin is 1% or less of the votes cast. Margin % = (winner − loser) ÷ (total votes) × 100.
CWhy this race matters statewide
LOCAL CASE FILEA top leader loses at home
Michael Lee had served in the NC Senate since 2014. In April 2025 his fellow Republicans made him Senate Majority Leader, and he led the Senate's budget and education committees. Many expected him to become the Senate's top leader. Instead, he lost to Jessica Bichler. Water pollution from "forever chemicals" (PFAS) in the Cape Fear River was a big issue in the race.
Sources: Carolina Journal, WECT, Nov. 2026.
Want to know who represents YOUR address?Ask an adult at home, or after class try ncleg.gov → Find Your Legislators. (Not required.)
Mission 3: North Carolina's Rules
A bill becomes law in Raleigh almost the same way as in Washington. Both chambers pass it, then it goes to the governor. But NC has a few rules of its own.
1. Overriding a veto
Congress2/3 of each chamber
North Carolina3/5 of members present and voting in each chamber
2. If the leader does nothing
CongressLaw after 10 days, unless Congress has gone home: then a pocket veto kills it
North CarolinaLaw after 10 days (30 if the legislature has adjourned). NC has no pocket veto.
3. Some bills can't be vetoed
NC voters gave the governor a veto in 1996, the last state in the U.S. to do it. Even now the governor can't veto redistricting maps, constitutional amendments (voters decide those), local bills (bills for fewer than 15 counties), or bills where lawmakers appoint people to state boards.
ACan the governor veto it?
BCrossroads: the governor's desk
Tap every IF to see what happens THEN.
Mission 4: Power Math
Overriding a veto takes 3/5 of each chamber. A party with that many seats has a supermajority: it can override the governor with no help from the other party.
AFind the lines (everyone present)
BBefore and after the election
DemocratsRepublicansUnaffiliatedLines: seats Republicans need for a majority and for 3/5
CWho can do what?
Tap From Jan. 2027 above when a question asks about 2027.
Mission 5: Case Files from Raleigh
Four real things the General Assembly did in 2025 and 2026. Read each case file, then answer its question.
Mission 6: My Turn
From January 2027: Democrats run the NC House, Republicans run the NC Senate, and the governor is Democrat Josh Stein. Will it be easier or harder to pass new state laws?
AMy claim
BMy evidence
Use at least two facts from this lab. Need ideas? Here are some:
A bill has to pass BOTH chambers in the same form.
Without 30 seats, Senate Republicans can't override a veto on their own.
In 2025–26, one party ran both chambers and still went over 900 days without a new budget.
The governor can't veto redistricting maps or local bills.
CMy reasoning
Explain why your evidence supports your claim. What will lawmakers have to do differently?
Mission 7: Exit Ticket
Answer all 6 questions, type your name and block, then press Finish.
Press Download my PDF. On the print screen, set Destination to Save as PDF, then press Save.
In Canvas: open NC General Assembly Lab → Start Assignment → File Upload.