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. One initiative involves Participatory Budgeting in Durham, where residents of Durham have the opportunity in May, 2021 to help decide how $1 million will be spent on community projects to aid in COVID-19 recovery. More generally, CJJ will conduct outreach to the community to increase knowledge of the high stakes in every election and boost successful voter turnout.

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!