The posts in this category discuss our core issues.
A host of public-interest organizations have renewed their opposition to a photo ID requirement for NC voters. At a press conference yesterday, they rolled out a new website (www.protectourvotenc.com), new data about who does not have a photo ID, and a history lesson about an almost forgotten compromise struck a decade ago between Democrats and [...]
A Democracy North Carolina report today compares voter turnout rates among 30 subgroups of voters in all 100 counties. WRAL-TV combined today’s report with an earlier release looking at statewide participation rates to write a story that begins: “A new analysis of voter turnout data for the November 2012 election proves North Carolina has earned [...]
A new report from Demos and U.S. PIRG gives us an insight into the post-Citizens United campaign financing system in the U.S. It’s a sad view. According to the report, 2012 marked the first ever billion-dollar presidential campaign. With Super PACs pouring an unprecedented amount of money into campaigns, this should hardly come as a [...]
“Voting says that the government is accountable to the people; Voter ID says the people are accountable to the government,” reads a letter to the Durham Herald-Sun editor written in response to John Hood’s statement that “Voter ID is not controversial.” Letters like this one are very timely because the issue of voter ID will come [...]
The Fayetteville Observer has a revealing story today about how Republicans in the NC General Assembly plan to "move gingerly but deliberately to pass a law this year requiring voters to show IDs at polls." It includes extensive comments from Rep. David Lewis, co-chair of the House Elections Committee and the man charged with crafting the new legislation. He's ready [...]
Earlier this week, the NC State Board of Elections released a report which found that, of the 6.6 million registered voters in North Carolina, 612,955 may not have a DMV-issued photo ID. The News & Observer reports that "the new analysis, which compared Division of Motor Vehicles records to state voter lists, discovered that 53 [...]
An article today in the Wilmington Star-News describes the shifting profile of voters in New Hanover County; it points out that nearly all the growth since 2008 has come from new voters who chose to affiliate with neither major party. Democracy NC released a report that provides loads of state-level data showing changes in who [...]
Take a minute to call Gov. Bev Perdue and encourage her to issue a pardon for the “Wilmington 10” who, 40 years ago, were convicted of an arson conspiracy during racially polarized conflicts over desegregating the city’s schools. No physical evidence tied the 8 youth and 2 adults to the crime; the only “eyewitness” was bribed for his testimony [...]
Here’s a thorough analysis of how “mystery money” from secretive outside groups, mixed with extreme partisan redistricting, allows a handful of elitists to manipulate voters for political and economic riches. ProPublica examines how the process works at the national and state level, with North Carolina taking center stage. The story includes more revelations about the [...]
The Center for Responsive Politics (aka Opensecrets.org) has this report on the National Rifle Association’s political intimidation machine. It has loads of links to other reports and the major players in the gun-fetish debate. Meanwhile, Chris Fitzsimon of NC Policy Watch has this review of Art Pope’s selection today as North Carolina’s next State Budget [...]