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.
HIGHLIGHTED ACTIONS:
1. Resist Voter Suppression in North Carolina
Under the guise of so-called “election integrity,” N.C. lawmakers have drafted Senate Bill 326, Senate Bill 724, and Senate Bill 725, all of which threaten the right to vote, and undermine the strength of our democracy here in North Carolina.
(Then look up your legislator's phone number here, and call them with the same message to ensure they've heard you!)
2. Advance Federal Voter Protections
The For the People Act is a robust pro-democracy package that will give everyday people a bigger voice in politics, modernize voter registration, provide additional voting options, eliminate many burdens in the voting process, and enfranchise millions of Americans.
Call Senator Tillis (202-224-6342) and Senator Burr (202-224-3154) today, asking them both to vote in favor of the For the People Act. And if you have more time, sign up with Common Cause to phone bank or text bank voters in other critical states to motivate them to contact their own senators.
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 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. Presently, members of the NC General Assembly are making those decisions. We held an informative Redistricting 101 webinar with Lehka Shupeck of All On The Line, and Jane Pinsky of Common Cause. [If you want to listen to the recording of the webinar, you can find it here and enter this passcode: ke#$XhI0]. We are partnering with both organizations to further this work.
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. We recently helped engage participation in Durham’s Participatory Budgeting process, where residents of Durham had the opportunity to help decide how $1 million will be spent on community projects to aid in COVID-19 recovery.
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!
Showing 21 reactions