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Legislation to promote voting is being stymied in the US Senate. Both the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act have been filibustered, preventing even a discussion on either of these important bills. However, there is hope, and that comes from amending the filibuster.
The White House comment line is open from 9:00am-3:00pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week. Call 202-456-1111 and encourage President Biden to amend the filibuster in order to protect voting and democratic rights for all Americans.
Click here for additional actions you can take to motivate President Biden to make this critical change.
Please see our Voting Rights Activism Guide for concise, up-to-date information about how to get involved and what to do, and visit our list of trusted resources for ongoing learning and engagement.
Voting Rights are more important than ever in 2021, as the year brings both opportunities and threats. CJJ is working across the state to take on these challenges, partnering with voting rights organizations such as Democracy North Carolina, You Can Vote, Common Cause, All On The Line NC, Reclaim Our Vote, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, and the League of Women Voters. Our goal is to engage CJJ members and create a community of CJJ activists working on the most important voting rights initiatives of our lifetime.
Our current work focuses on:
Redistricting: CJJ is helping to set the stage for redistricting reform in the future and, for this year, working to create the fairest maps possible. Ultimately, a key goal is to determine who is best to draw districts.
Access to the ballot: CJJ supports voting rights legislation and opposes legislation and policy that suppress voting. We also advocate for increased participation of disenfranchised and under-represented North Carolinians in elections.
Civic engagement: CJJ Voting Rights’ efforts aim also at demystifying our government, supporting CJJ members and the broader community to increase their advocacy skills, take effective action, and mobilize citizens to vote.
To join your local chapter's voting rights working group, please sign up below or contact our local team leaders directly:
- Ron Katz, CJJ-West Voting Rights Team Leader (also available by phone: 828-768-4559)
- Marilyn Hartman, CJJ-Durham/Orange County Voting Rights Team Leader
- Cole Parke, CJJ-Wake County Voting Rights Team Leader
- Linda Levy, CJJ-Charlotte Voting Rights Team Leader
- If you live outside of one of our established chapters, please contact Debbie Goldstein!
And for the next time you get to cast your ballot, Rabbi Laura Novak Winer created a prayer for voting:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shemeyzpeh me’itanu l’asok b’avodat exrachut ha-medina
Blessed are we who engage as citizens, upholding our values of freedom and justice and exercising our power to choose our leaders.
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