TECHNICIAN X
REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM IN NOVEMBER
JOSH STEIN FOR GOVERNOR
KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT
Letter from the editors: Our collaborative 2024 Election voter guide
Kate Denning Editor-in-Chief of Technician
Alianna Kendall-Brooks Editor-in-Chief of The Nubian Message &
Happy Election Season, Wolfpack. Welcome to Technician, The Nubian Message and The News & Observer’s 2024 Election guide.
This exclusive issue features The News & Observer’s official voter guide for the most crucial races across the state. From the gubernatorial race to the state superintendents, local candidates are answering voters’ most vital questions this election season.
The News & Observer has long served North Carolinians through its commitment to accurate and responsible journalism. We are honored that The News & Observer believes in the power of student
media enough to distribute their work alongside stories of our own. In addition to the official voter guide, Technician and The Nubian Message collaborated to address the topics that are affecting student voters the most.
Technician has emphasized coverage of local races here in Wake County. Our
students by-and-large spend far more time here in Raleigh than they do in any other part of the country, so we feel it’s only right that we keep the student body informed of the state of the most local races.
For that reason, this voter guide includes profiles of each of the five can-
didates running for mayor of Raleigh. Also included is a feature of city council candidate Reeves Peeler and a story on naturalized citizens’ journeys to the ballot box. We hope this coverage will inform student voters about where Raleigh politics stand before heading to the polls.
The Nubian Message believes in the power of student voters, particularly those from marginalized communities, to shape the outcome of the 2024 election. Made by the people and for the people, we uphold our civic duty by featuring a first-time voter guide for students.
We also have powerful coverage on voter suppression at NC State, and a side-by-side forecast for the future of the presidency. The Nubian Message will turn our efforts into action by hosting a voting party on Monday, Oct. 28.
Technician and The Nubian Message are so proud to present this collaborative voter guide with The News & Observer. We believe deeply in the power of journalism to inform the public, especially during a time when reliable information is needed the most.
Happy voting, Wolfpack.
Voter Guide
Gubernatorial candidates
The candidates for governor in North Carolina are Democrat Josh Stein, Republican Mark Robinson, Libertarian Mike Ross, Michael Wayne Turner of the Green Party and Vinny Smith of the Constitution Party. There is no incumbent.
Name: Josh Stein
Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 58 Campaign website: joshstein.org
Current occupation: North Carolina Attorney General
Professional experience: NC Attorney General (2017-2024), NC State Senator (20092016), Of Counsel at Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP (2012-2016), Senior Deputy Attorney General for Consumer Protection (2001-2008), Real Estate Project Manager at the Self-Help Credit Union (1995-1997) Education: Dartmouth College (BA), Harvard University (MPP, JD)
Please list any notable government or civic involvement:
I’ve been honored to serve as the state’s attorney general since 2017, as a state senator representing Wake County before that, and as the senior deputy attorney general for Consumer Protection under then-Attorney General Roy Cooper.
What would be your top priority if elected?
My top priority is investing in NC public schools. As attorney general, I have worked tirelessly to get public schools fully funded. I have fought for high-quality teachers in every classroom and more high quality prekindergarten slots for North Carolina children. I was honored to receive the NCAE’s (N.C. Association of Educators) endorsement as the governor candidate “best for education.” The best way to continue building a strong economy is to strengthen our workforce by preparing our kids for the jobs of the future.
Name: Vinny Smith
Political party: Constitution Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 54 Campaign website: vinnyfornc.com
Current occupation: Market Development Manager
Professional experience: Sales, marketing and market development
Education: BS Computer Science, U.S. Naval Academy; MS Management, Troy State University; PhD Business Management, LaSalle University.
Please list any notable government or civic involvement: Founder of EdTech Unite. Edtech Unite is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which offers STEM education, technology programs and Esports teams for at-risk youth, youth in underserved communities, and youth with autism in order to provide them with educational and developmental opportunities they normally would not have access to.
What would be your top priority if elected?
My top priority as governor is to restore
What percentage raises should state employees and school personnel receive in the next state budget?
We have a statewide vacancy crisis in critical jobs, both in our schools and in state government. Compensating our workers fairly is a big part of how we can solve this crisis. That’s why I support Gov. Cooper’s recommendation of at least a 5% across-theboard increase for state-funded employees, and an 8.5% average total raise for all existing teachers. I’m honored to be endorsed by the NCAE and SEANC (the State Employees Association of North Carolina), and as governor, I will continue fighting to ensure our state properly values its public servants.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings, and how will you find common ground with the other nine elected officials?
I will attend the Council of State meetings. As attorney general, I have consistently worked across the aisle to tackle tough challenges for our state – and deliver. I have worked with Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly to fight opioids, end the rape kit backlog, protect kids from sex assault, and improve the criminal justice system. Good ideas don’t come with party labels, and we can’t limit our solutions to working with just one party or the other.
If there’s another pandemic, how should the next North Carolina governor respond?
From COVID-19, we learned the importance of collaborating with a variety of stakeholders: lawmakers, scientists, and public health experts. We must invest in
confidence in the people that the office of governor is no longer bought and paid for by special interest group, political action committee, and Super PAC money. I will emphasize to the citizens of N.C. the power they have within government because the elected officials represent the people and are accountable to the people. As governor, my allegiance is to God, the U.S. and N.C. Constitution, and the citizens of N.C.
What percentage raises should state employees and school personnel receive in the next state budget?
Seven percent across the board, not an average. The raise should be every step of the way in one’s career. We should restore master’s degree pay and longevity pay.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings, and how will you find common ground with the other nine elected officials?
I will attend every meeting and work towards solutions for citizens within bounds of the N.C. Constitution.
scientific innovation and support the public health work of the NC Department of Health and Human Services to be prepared for any such crisis in the future. The COVID-19 pandemic also had a significant impact on our students. We have to do everything in our power to ensure that student learning is always prioritized.
What do you think of the General Assembly’s reduction of gubernatorial appointments to several boards and commissions?
North Carolinians deserve a government that works for them. This General Assembly is violating our state’s separation of powers to amass even more power. Our state constitution created three co-equal and independent branches of government. The legislature is not content with its own authority; its leaders want to encroach on the other branches, as well. We must restore balance in state government by winning the governor’s office and breaking the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly.
At how many weeks pregnancy should state law ban abortion? What exceptions should there be, and at how many weeks?
Deciding to have a baby is among the most personal decisions a woman can make; it should be made in consultation with her loved ones and her doctor – not by politicians like my opponent. As attorney general, I have defended access to reproductive health care for all women, including members of the military. As governor, I’ll continue to defend women’s rights. Meanwhile, my opponent for governor supports
If there’s another pandemic, how should the next North Carolina governor respond?
The governor of course should abide by the N.C. Constitution which does not call for issuing executive orders for shutting down businesses, deciding which businesses are essential, requiring churches to close their doors, social distancing requirements, and mask mandates. The Constitution Party of N.C. advocated for articles of impeachment to be issued to Gov. Roy Cooper due to the restrictions/mandates he instituted.
What do you think of the General Assembly’s reduction of gubernatorial appointments to several boards and commissions?
I feel the governor should have been able to continue to make the appointments with approval by the General Assembly.
At how many weeks pregnancy should state law ban abortion? What exceptions should there be, and at how many weeks?
Based upon Jeremiah 1:4-5, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, and Exodus
a total abortion ban without exception, not for rape, incest, or the life of the mother.
North Carolina has consistently scored high in national publications’ business rankings. How would you maintain or improve its business climate?
I believe in the promise of North Carolina that if you work hard, where you come from should never limit how far you can go. Instead of waging job-killing culture wars like my opponent, I’ll keep fighting to invest in our people. I will ensure small businesses are set up for success and strengthen career and technical education, especially in our state’s growing, high-demand industries. Finally, I will prioritize infrastructure investments like broadband, roads, and railroads.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
I work for the people of North Carolina –not a political party. That’s why when given the chance, I pushed the Biden administration on fentanyl, urging them to put more pressure on China and Mexico to stem the tide of fentanyl at our borders and keep people safe. My opponent does whatever his party bosses tell him to do – even if it harms North Carolinians. That’s why when Donald Trump ordered his minions to kill the strongest bipartisan border security bill in a generation, he fell in line.
20:13, I do not believe in abortions, from conception without exception. I do believe that we must have a support system in place available to help pregnant mothers emotionally, psychologically and financially if needed.
North Carolina has consistently scored high in national publications’ business rankings. How would you maintain or improve its business climate?
Work towards less government regulations and come up with a phased approach to end property tax, which will encourage business owners/corporations to establish their business in N.C. because owners, and executives/employees would pay less in tax and actually own their homes.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
I agree with all the seven core values of the Constitution Party of N.C.
Voter Guide
Name: Michael Wayne Turner
Political party: Green
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 70
Campaign website: agreenforgovernor.org
Current occupation: Retired
Professional experience: Experience in industrial and trade occupations as well as in teaching and scientific research. From 1987 until 2000 employed at Research Triangle Institute, rising to senior research engineer. Managed projects in automation, instrument design and hydrogen production. Owned a small business in home building and repair, and later a consultant in data acquisition for marine projects. Retired as general manager for a local manufacturer of specialty tools.
Education: BS Applied Mathematics, N.C. State University, 1980; AAS Robotics and Automation Technology, Wake Technical Community College, 1987.
Please list any notable government or civic involvement: I have worked in issues of minor party politics and political participation since 2000. As a consequence, and from promoting the party’s stances on public issues ranging from utility rate hikes to seeking municipal resolutions on a ceasefire in Palestine, I have become familiar with the politics and operations of city, county and state governments. In 2020 I co-founded the group Better Ballot NC, which seeks to introduce important voting reforms into our electoral system at all levels.
What would be your top priority if elected?
Reversing the decline in public education infrastructure and personnel that has taken place over the last three decades, largely due to underfunding, the disastrous and misleading experiments with charter schools, and the use of public education as a scapegoat to boost political agen-
das. Our decisions in this area will have impacts reaching far beyond the present, as private education threatens to reproduce social stratification and segregation along lines of economic class and race.
What percentage raises should state employees and school personnel receive in the next state budget?
At least 10%. I believe this is probably too low to make up for the paltry wage increases that have escaped from the legislature over the past 14 years, but in a state that is continuing to lose personnel, and cannot compete for qualified personnel in numerous positions, it would be a signal to the workforce that we are starting to get serious about attracting and retaining enthusiastic and engaged people to fill these positions.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings, and how will you find common ground with the other nine elected officials?
I will attend all Council of State meetings. Common ground must be based on common goals. If we can agree on good improved quality of life for the working class in North Carolina, with good education, a clean environment, affordable housing, health care and affordable child care, then finding common ground will not be an issue. If this is not the case, then I will work on a case-by-case basis to argue for more state involvement in creating these conditions.
If there’s another pandemic, how should the next North Carolina governor respond?
The governor should respond based on advice from the public health community, which in turn must be founded upon the best current recommended practices supported by science. This includes declaring public health emergencies as appropriate, and challenging bans on appropriate public
health measures that are threats to public safety.
What do you think of the General Assembly’s reduction of gubernatorial appointments to several boards and commissions?
A raw power grab contrary to the principle of a tripartite system of government with checks and balances.
At how many weeks pregnancy should state law ban abortion? What exceptions should there be, and at how many weeks?
I will not offer a gestational limit, nor debate over exceptions. State law should not ban abortion, period. Abortions are intensely personal decisions between a woman and her doctors, and the state has no legitimate interest in the process beyond ensuring that medical care is available to the mother.
North Carolina has consistently scored high in national publications’ business rankings. How would you maintain or improve its business climate?
A business climate should be tailored to attract businesses that (1) pay their employees a living wage and benefits; (2) do not degrade the environment, and (3) do not siphon profits away from the state. Such businesses will produce long-term economic and social benefits to the people. To attract businesses that can meet these requirements, my administration would emphasize the production of a widely educated and politically conscious workforce.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
I cannot think of any area of policy in which I do not in general agree with the party’s positions.
CONTRIBUTED BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein
COURTESY OF MICHAEL WAYNE TURNER
Gubernatorial candidate Michael Wayne Turner
COURTESY OF VINNY SMITH Gubernatorial candidate Vinny Smith
Voter Guide
Lt. Governor candidates
The candidates for lieutenant governor in North Carolina are Republican Hal Weatherman, Democrat Rachel Hunt, Wayne Jones of the Constitution Party and Libertarian Shannon Bray. There is no incumbent.
Name: Hal Weatherman
Political party: Republican Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 54
Campaign website: halweathermanfornc. com
Current occupation: President, Electoral Education Foundation
Professional experience: Chief of Staff, U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick; Chief of Staff, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest; Founder and President, Electoral Education Foundation
Education: BA, Wake Forest University; MA, Wheaton College
Please list any notable government or civic involvement: Chief of Staff, U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick; Chief of Staff, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest
What would be your top priority if elected?
My primary goal in seeking the office of lieutenant governor is to use the authority of the office to fundamentally remove the stigma our society has placed on working in the trades. The lieutenant governor serves on the State Board of Education and the State Community College Board of Direc-
Name: Rachel Hunt
Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 59
Campaign website: RachelHunt.com
Current occupation: State senator, attorney, college counselor
Professional experience: College counselor, family law attorney
Education: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA) University of South Carolina (JD) University of California Los Angeles (CCC)
Please list any notable government or civic involvement: Former Resident Manager, Loudon County Battered Women’s Shelter; Former Chair Board of Directors, Charlotte Secondary School PTA; Former Board Of Directors, North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children; CoordinatorLeadership Providence, Providence United Methodist Church; Former Chair Board of Directors, Lillian’s List of North Carolina; Current Board Member - Hunt Institute.
What would be your top priority if elected? If elected lieutenant governor, I’ll focus on making North Carolina the best state in the nation to live, work and raise a family.
Name: Wayne Jones
Political party: Constitution
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 72 Campaign website: www.WAYNEJONESFORLTGOV.com
Current occupation: Retired
Professional experience: 35 years in the telecommunications industry
Education: Studied at the School of Hard Knocks
Please list any notable government or civic involvement: zero
tors, providing a unique opportunity of influence to advance a new culture in our state that values entrepreneurship, trade work and small business ownership.
What percentage raises should state employees and school personnel receive in the next state budget?
As lieutenant governor, I will not be a voting member on the budget except in the case of a tie. That said, I have publicly said state employees deserve a raise so our state can recruit and retain the best civil servants. This is especially true with members of the State Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings?
Yes.
How will you work with the other nine members of the council?
I always worked well with the members of the Council of State during my tenure
I’ll do that by advocating for more funding for local law enforcement, expanding job training programs in community colleges, increasing teacher pay, and expanding access to affordable child care.
What percentage raises should state employees and school personnel receive in the next state budget?
I would support the raises Gov. Cooper proposed in his most recent budget, a 5% raise for all state employees and an 8.5% increase for teachers.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings? Yes.
How will you work with the other nine members of the council?
I look forward to working with the other members of the Council of State to address the issues that impact North Carolinians. For example, I would work with the Superintendent of Public Instruction to advocate for increased school funding and better conditions for our teachers and students, and I’ll work with the Commissioner of Agriculture to promote NC agriculture and
What would be your top priority if elected?
Clean up the State Board of Elections. What percentage raises should state employees and school personnel receive in the next state budget?
Freeze wages until audit is performed on all departments.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings? Attend all.
as chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and remain friends with some of the members to this day. I believe relationships are the key to government and politics.
The LG office has limited duties, one of which is presiding over the Senate. How often will you preside over sessions?
I will consistently preside over the Senate, although I can’t commit to a specific percentage of sessions over which I will preside. Furthermore, I believe the true power of the lieutenant governor comes from relationships and indirect influence. With that in mind, I will cultivate relationships with members of the Senate, and other branches of the government, to advance my priorities.
How do you see your role on the State Board of Education, and what are your priorities for public education?
Local control. Free teachers from “teaching to the test.” Armed school resource officers in all schools. School choice. Remove politics from the classroom. Remove DEI
ensure that our family farmers can continue to farm for generations to come, preserving local agriculture and sustainable food production.
The LG office has limited duties, one of which is presiding over the Senate. How often will you preside over sessions?
I will preside over the Senate as often as I can in conjunction with the other boards and commissions the lieutenant governor serves on.
How do you see your role on the State Board of Education, and what are your priorities for public education?
Our current pay structure is causing a loss of talented teachers in the profession and dissuading new educators from joining. That is why I proposed a budget amendment this session to raise teacher salaries and reintroduce master’s (degree) pay. By doing so, we can attract and keep top-notch teachers who will deliver the high-quality education our children deserve. If elected lieutenant governor, I am committed to collaborating with the legislature to ensure this proposal becomes law.
How will you work with the other nine members of the council?
My door and mind will be open to members.
The LG office has limited duties, one of which is presiding over the Senate. How often will you preside over sessions? Will attend all.
How do you see your role on the State Board of Education, and what are your priorities for public education?
(diversity, equity and inclusion) and CRT (Critical Race Theory) from the classroom. Return to basics. Bring back “shop” and promote trade work as an alternate to college.
If you win, and the governor is from a different political party, how will that impact your role as LG?
As chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, I had experiences serving under both a Republican governor and a Democratic governor. I have always been able to work constructively with people regardless of political background. Furthermore, I will seek to use the power of my office, both direct and indirect power, to advance my priorities regardless of who serves as governor.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
I opposed the expansion of Medicaid.
If you win, and the governor is from a different political party, how will that impact your role as LG?
My job as lieutenant governor will be the same regardless of who is governor. I’ll focus on being the voice of all North Carolinians in Raleigh and encourage whoever is governor to work with the legislature to improve our education system, expand access to quality child care and protect a woman’s right to choose.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
I believe in finding common ground and working across party lines to address the issues facing our state and I differ from my party on the topic of education reform. I believe we must prioritize investing in public schools and ensuring students succeed. I’m open to new ways to improve our schools, like expanding vocational training and accountability measures to ensure that taxpayer funds are being spent effectively. By working together we can create a stronger and more prosperous future for NC.
Work closely with the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
If you win, and the governor is from a different political party, how will that impact your role as LG?
None, that’s how you monitor the system. Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue? None.
Voter Guide
Opinion Attorney General candidates
Two congressmen, Democrat Jeff Jackson and Republican Dan Bishop, are facing off against each other. There is no incumbent in the race.
Name: Jeff Jackson
Political party: Democrat Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 42 Campaign website: jeffjacksonnc.com
Current occupation: Congressman, North Carolina’s 14th District Professional experience: Previous: Assistant District Attorney, Gaston County District Attorney’s Office; Counsel, Womble Bond Dickinson; State Senator, North Carolina Senate District 37. Current: Major, NC Army National Guard, JAG Corps; Congressman, North Carolina’s 14th District Education: University of North Carolina School of Law, J.D.; Emory University, B.A. and M.A.
Please list any notable government or civic involvement: I’ve served as an assistant district attorney, state senator, and congressman. I am a major in the North Carolina National Guard and served in Afghanistan.
What would be your top priority if elected? The fentanyl epidemic is killing people in our state each day. As attorney general, I would support a two-front approach that targets both supply and demand. That means aggressively pursuing the elements of organized crime that traffic fentanyl into
Name: Dan Bishop
Political party: Republican
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 60 Campaign website: votedanbishop.com
Current occupation: U.S. Representative, NC-8. Formerly practiced law for 30 years Professional experience: 30 years as a litigator. I appeared over 400 times in federal and state trial and appellate courts, including the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and North Carolina Supreme Court. Member, Committee on Judiciary, U.S. House of Representatives Member, Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. House of Representatives.
Education: J.D. with high honors, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. B.S. with highest distinction, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Please list any notable government or civic involvement: U.S. Congress, elected three times. NC Senate, elected twice. NC House. Mecklenburg County Commission, elected twice.
What would be your top priority if elected?
Restoring law and order in North
our state by identifying and breaking apart the distribution cells that exist within our state as well as advocating for effective addiction treatment for users.
What percentage raises should your state agency’s employees receive in the next state budget?
North Carolina Department of Justice employees should at least receive the 5% raises and retention bonuses that were a part of the governor’s proposed budget. They do incredible work to keep North Carolinians safe and protect consumers. We need to keep that experience at the NCDOJ, which means compensation must be more competitive than it currently is.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings? Yes.
How will you work with the other nine members of the council, including the governor? I believe the work of the attorney general is fundamentally nonpartisan. The job is to be a shield for the public against those who mean them harm. I will gladly work with any elected official — regardless of party — to accomplish that mission.
Carolina. I will work hand in hand with local law enforcement to restore law and order and keep our cities and towns safe.
What percentage raises should your state agency’s employees receive in the next state budget?
I will advocate to the legislature for fair compensation for Department of Justice employees. The appropriate increases in pay will vary by position, qualification and experience of the employees, and other factors.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings? Yes.
How will you work with the other nine members of the council, including the governor?
I will work with whoever is willing to make our state safer, restore a culture of law and order, and achieve common good for the people of North Carolina.
How will you work with local law enforcement across the state to ensure their needs are met?
How will you work with local law enforcement across the state to ensure their needs are met?
As the only former prosecutor in this race, I’ve worked directly with law enforcement and would actively partner with them as attorney general to keep our families safe. I have supported state and federal efforts to pay our officers more and brought in funding for local police departments to upgrade their technological capabilities. We must make competitive salaries a priority for law enforcement. There simply is no way to recruit and retain high-level talent without offering competitive compensation.
What laws, if any, has the General Assembly passed that you believe are unconstitutional and that you would not defend in court?
One of the core responsibilities of the attorney general is to represent the state. It would be my obligation to do so even in matters in which I personally disagreed. However, in exceptionally rare instances, should the matter involve a clear violation of the Constitution, I would not be able to provide a defense. I agree with the U.S. District Court that pieces of SB 20, the law restricting abortion access, were unconstitutional.
Over 75 sheriffs and district attorneys have endorsed me for attorney general. Many of them tell me the current AG has had little to no communication with them over the past eight years. That is unacceptable. The AG should work hand in hand with law enforcement and serve as a resource and advocate for our front-line police, sheriff’s deputies, state troopers and prosecutors.
What laws, if any, has the General Assembly passed that you believe are unconstitutional and that you would not defend in court?
When it comes to the AG’s responsibility to defend the law in court, my personal opinions are irrelevant. I’ll defend the law. And I will not resort to the dishonest tactic of cloaking policy disagreements with enacted legislation in pretextual, flimsy and far-fetched constitutional objections or resort to transparent legal trickery to nullify enacted law, as Stein and Cooper have done. I’ll defend North Carolina law — period — whether I agree with it or not.
On what kinds of issues do you envision
On what kinds of issues do you envision working and partnering with other state attorneys general?
Disrupting fentanyl supply chains, joint operations regarding human trafficking, combating Medicare fraud, coordination against new kinds of scams (such as those employing artificial intelligence), data privacy initiatives, social media litigation, price gouging litigation, clean air and water concerns.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
My party made an enormous mistake by not ending gerrymandering and enacting independent redistricting when it had the chance. Now the other party is in power, and they’re making the same mistake by refusing to allow an independent redistricting process. No matter which party is in power, when politicians use partisan redistricting to favor themselves, the voters lose. We have needed independent redistricting for a long time, and I fully support it.
working and partnering with other state attorneys general?
I will join other AGs to protect North Carolinians from federal erosion of their fundamental rights — especially free expression and federal agency overreach in regulating their lives and businesses. For example: the Biden Title IX rule and brazen disregard of U.S. immigration law that is destabilizing NC communities and flooding them with deadly fentanyl. I will also join multistate litigation against large corporate abusers of North Carolinians’ rights, such as Purdue Pharmaceuticals.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
In Congress, I stood up to my party on spending and deficits, which threaten to destroy our children’s and grandchildren’s future and our country’s longterm security and well-being. I voted to protect Americans’ First Amendment rights when my party voted to ban TikTok and my opponent joined them, even though he has built his political career on that platform.
Voter Guide
Secretary of State candidates
Republican Chad Brown is running against Democratic incumbent Elaine Marshall.
Name: Chad Brown
Political party: Republican Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 53
Campaign website: ElectChadBrown.com
Current occupation: Territory Manager for a steel company Professional experience: I have dedicated the past 15 years of my life to public service. I have served in various government roles, including as Mayor of Stanley (NC) and Chairman of the Board of Gaston County Commissioners. Throughout my career, I have strongly advocated for government transparency, accountability and fairness. Government should work for the people, not the other way around, and I am committed to fighting for the rights and interests of every citizen in our state.
Education: North Greenville (college) North Gaston (high school)
Please list any notable government or civic involvement: I have served in various government roles, including mayor of Stanley (NC) and chairman of the Board of Gaston County Commissioners. I am also a part of the State’s Parks and Recreation Board.
What would be your top priority if elected?
Foster a strong and vibrant business community by reducing unnecessary regulations and streamlining processes. I want to make it easier for entrepreneurs and small businesses to succeed and create jobs.
What percentage raises should your state agency’s employees receive in the next state budget?
I would analyze my agency’s compensation and budget,
Name: Elaine Marshall
Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 78
Campaign website: www.elainemarshall.com
Current occupation: Attorney, Secretary of State
Professional experience: Secretary of State, attorney, former state senator, small business owner, teacher, community college instructor. Education: BS - University of Maryland, J.D, Campbell Law
Please list any notable government or civic involvement: 4H - Lifetime Member, inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame and North Carolina 4-H Hall of Fame, Campbell University Law Board of Advisors, Campbell University Board, Meredith College - past Board Member, Masonic Home for Children - past Board Member, Delta Kappa Gamma - Education Honorary, Brand Protection Hero by Michigan State University (2019), Gold Record holder from Recording Industry Association of America, former President of National Secretaries of State.
What would be your top priority if elected?
My top priority is always cybersecurity. My second priority is the success of small business owners through continuing the Rural RISE initiative and other outreach efforts to make sure
then recommend a targeted raise percentage to the legislature, balancing fairness and fiscal responsibility.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings?
I would prioritize attending all Council of State meetings. This important governing body requires my active participation to represent my agency and the citizens of North Carolina effectively. Barring unavoidable conflicts, I would be present and engaged at every council proceeding.
How will you work with the other nine members of the council, including the governor?
I would work collaboratively and bipartisanly with the governor and other council members. I would prioritize open communication, finding common ground and respecting everyone’s roles. I aim to be an effective consensusbuilding member of the council.
In North Carolina, most election duties are entrusted to the State Board of Elections. What role, if any, should the NC Secretary of State have in overseeing elections?
The Secretary of State’s office does not have direct authority over NC elections, but I would work closely with the State Board to ensure smooth, secure and accessible voting. This includes providing administrative support, collaborating on voter outreach, monitoring for threats, and coordinating with other agencies. Maintaining public trust in fair elections is paramount.
What is your plan to promote economic development in NC?
businesses start on good footing so they have a solid foundation to grow and succeed.
What percentage raises should your state agency’s employees receive in the next state budget?
Considering our office earns $190 million in state revenue for the General Fund, I believe an annual budget of 14% of that revenue would help us start to meet the increasing business demands (overall business filings are up 60% since 2019), and to provide salary increases our employees deserve. In addition, permanent COLA increases for state employee retirees are needed. To address the high vacancy rate in state government we must improve other benefits in addition to salaries.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings? Yes - I have missed very few over the course of my service.
How will you work with the other nine members of the council, including the governor?
I always make it a priority to know my fellow members. Several other council offices have comparable goals and audiences so I reach out on initiatives we jointly value. The Governor’s Office and the Secretary of State’s Office have unique and special legal responsibilities. With each new governor and their legal counsel, I
Economic growth is vital for NC’s prosperity. I’ll attract businesses, create jobs, and support small firms by streamlining registration and providing resources. I’ll foster innovation and opportunity. But growth requires ethics — I’ll hold the unethical accountable. I’ll collaborate across agencies and communities, actively engage the public, and amplify citizens’ voices in our decisions.
How would you evaluate the current customer service experience provided by the Secretary of State’s office and what, if anything, would you do to improve it?
While some may report positive experiences, others face long waits, unclear processes and difficulty getting answers. I’d address this by 1) ensuring adequate, welltrained staffing, 2) streamlining procedures, 3) investing in user-friendly digital tools, 4) establishing responsive communication channels, and 5) implementing accountability measures. Focusing on citizen and business needs can make the Secretary of State’s office a model of excellent service that fosters trust.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
I believe in respectfully disagreeing with my party when it’s the right thing to do. One area is the need for clearer communication. Clear communication is fundamental to good governance, building trust and collaborating on a shared vision for North Carolina. I’m willing to constructively challenge my party when it better serves the greater good. Open communication and a collaborative spirit are essential for effective public service.
maintain an open dialogue regarding our joint tasks.
In North Carolina, most election duties are entrusted to the State Board of Elections. What role, if any, should the NC Secretary of State have in overseeing elections?
I personally do not believe a partisan elected office holder should have election oversight. The appearance of conflict of interest is always present in such situations. In this toxic, political environment, we need professionals whose primary objective is free and fair elections. The current role of secretary of state is to certify election results and to convene the Electoral College. This certification is an official process indicating the highest level of state validation.
What is your plan to promote economic development in NC?
My plan is twofold — make business formation easier and to increase the success rate of NC small businesses. Ease of business formation requires additional resources, people, and updated technology. To increase success rates, we began the Rural RISE initiative, which will help all new and existing businesses. For more information, visit https://www.sosnc.gov/rural_rise
How would you evaluate the current customer service experience provided by the Secretary of State’s office and what, if anything, would you do to improve it?
According to random, periodic surveys, over 90% of our customers are satisfied with our services. We receive praise from users contrasting their NC SOS experience to other state SOS experiences. That said, we have peak load times which cause delays. We are not staffed for the volume during particularly peak times. We use our temp budget fully to meet demand and reassign other staff when possible to keep up with the volume.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
Small business support has been almost lacking. Our data shows that NC small business loss is slightly lower than the national average. We lose 25% within three years of formation and 50% within seven years. We partnered with FSU researchers who concluded a 5% improvement of achieving “self-sufficiency” would result in over 24,000 jobs and up to a $2 billion economic infusion annually. The Democratic plan to allow a $50,000 deduction for new small businesses would be very beneficial to NC small, rural businesses.
Voter Guide
Culture Superintendent of Public Instruction candidates
Democrat Maurice “Mo” Green faces Republican Michele Morrow, who defeated the incumbent, Catherine Truitt, in a GOP primary election.
Name: Maurice (Mo) Green
Seat: State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 57 Campaign website: https://www.mogreenfornc.com/
Current occupation: Retired (former Executive Director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Superintendent of Guilford County Schools and General Counsel/ Deputy Superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)
Professional experience: I served as Superintendent of Guilford County Schools, NC’s third largest district with over 70,000 students, for 7.5 years. While I was Superintendent, GCS garnered state and national recognition for improved academic performance, increased graduation rates, and character development. Before GCS, I served as Deputy Superintendent/Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, one of NC’s two largest districts with over 130,000 students, for 7.5 years.
Education: I have a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics and a law degree, both from Duke University. Please list any notable government or civic involvement: In addition to serving in school district leadership roles for 15 years, I served as the executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, a philanthropic organization that supports many causes in North Carolina, including public education, for seven years. I also served on numerous boards dealing with a host of educational issues including homelessness, athletics, policy, media, arts and commu-
nity support.
What would be your top priority if elected?
Our public school educators are the backbone of public education. They play a pivotal role in our children’s lives; but they are currently undervalued, underpaid, and underappreciated in North Carolina. A top priority if elected would be to advocate for increased salaries for public school educators and to help North Carolina be a state that reveres teachers. At a minimum, teachers must receive pay raises in their base compensation to at least the national average.
What percentage raises should your state agency’s employees receive in the next state budget?
In April 2024, Gov. Roy Cooper proposed an average 8.5% raise for all teachers. I support this initial raise during the next state budget and more. We must raise our salaries to be competitive. Most importantly, our educators deserve more pay. Teaching is a noble profession, but North Carolina has woefully underpaid and consistently disrespected educators. Educators — including those in the Department of Public Instruction — play a pivotal role in our children’s lives, and we must pay them more.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings?
Yes, unless there are any extenuating circumstances.
How will you work with the other nine members of the council, including the governor?
I would strive to work collaboratively with the other Council of State members on a variety of issues, including those dealing with North Carolina’s public school system. My manner of working with others starts with listening to multiple people related to an issue, learning about the issue, developing a plan of action, and then executing on that plan.
What specific strategies would you promote to improve academic achievement for North Carolina students?
The successful combination of high academic achievement, strong character development and striving for excellence is my vision for North Carolina public schools. Strategies to achieve this vision include expanding the focus on early literacy skills from elementary through middle school, differentiating resources to individualize instruction for students, and advocating for full funding for our public schools. See www.mogreenfornc.com/pillars for more details.
Do you think the legislature should fund about $500 million for private school vouchers through the Opportunity Scholarship program? Why or why not?
The North Carolina public school system is woefully underfunded and should receive substantial increases in funding. North Carolina currently ranks 48th in public education funding. We need to invest in our public schools — including public charter schools — not taxpayer-funded private school vouchers for the wealthy. I believe that the Opportunity Scholarship program diverts significant and critically
needed funds from all public schools.
How should North Carolina public schools respond to the Biden Administration’s new Title IX rules involving transgender students?
North Carolina’s public schools should respond to the new Title IX rules involving transgender students by striving to allow them to participate in school activities in a safe and welcoming environment. In addition, we have to be focused on the very real education challenges such as getting a high-quality teacher in every classroom, an excellent principal in every school, and addressing the shortage of mental health professionals who support the well-being of our students, not some people’s cultural wars.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
There are some in my party who do not believe the North Carolina public school system should include public charter schools. I believe that charter schools can provide opportunities for innovation. With that understanding and with appropriate limits put on the number of charter schools, I am supportive of them. Indeed, while superintendent of Guilford County Schools, I considered the innovative practices in a system of charter schools (and a private school) when we created a middle school preparatory academy.
Voter Guide
NC Treasurer candidates
Republican Brad Briner is running against Democrat Wesley Harris. There is no incumbent in the race.
Name: Brad Briner
Political party: Republican Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 47
Campaign website: www.bradbriner.com
Current occupation: Retired
Professional experience: 25 years managing investments for large institutions like UNC and Bloomberg Philanthropies Education: BA (Morehead Scholar) from UNC-Chapel Hill, MBA from Harvard University
Please list any notable government or civic involvement: I have been an adviser to the State Treasurer of North Carolina through my role on the Debt Affordability Advisory Committee for over a decade. In addition, I serve on the Board of Trustees for UNC-Chapel Hill and on the Board of Trustees and as Chair of the Investment Committee for Phillips Exeter Academy.
What would be your top priority if elected?
The top priority of the next treasurer must be to address the chronic underperformance of the NC Retirement System. This underperformance has cost our taxpayers billions of dollars — it is time for the assets of the pension plan to work as hard for our state employees as those employees do for our state. Fixing this underperformance will not be easy; it requires much more than reducing excess cash in the portfolio. We must have a treasurer with deep investment experience to address this problem.
What percentage raises should your state agency’s employees receive in the next state budget?
I see no reason why the Department of State Treasurer employees should receive a materially different aggregate raise than other state employees in the next budget.
Name: Wesley Harris
Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 38
Campaign website: https://harrisfornc.com/
Current occupation: State legislator and economic consultant
Professional experience: Prior to being elected as a state representative, I taught Economics at Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and UNC Charlotte. Additionally, I served as an international tax economic consultant with a Big 4 accounting firm. While serving in the legislature, I am also an adjunct professor of Economics and part-time economic consultant.
Education: B.A. in Economics from UNC-Chapel Hill; PhD. in Economics from Clemson University
Please list any notable government or civic involvement: State Representative, District 105, Mecklenburg County (2019-present)
What would be your top priority if elected?
My top priority when elected will be to improve the performance of the pension plan so that we can not only keep the system solvent for our current and future retirees, but also be able to deliver a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to keep pace with recent inflation. I’ll work with the legislature to stabilize the State Health Plan, and ensure those who devote their lives and careers to the people of North Carolina receive great health care and a strong retirement.
What percentage raises should your state agency’s employees receive in the next state budget?
The raises should be able to keep pace with inflation from the previous years. The lack of inflation-adjusted raises is a critical
Will you attend all Council of State meetings? Yes.
How will you work with the other nine members of the council, including the governor?
In addition to attending Council of State and other board meetings, and the general areas of overlap that manifest from those, there are many areas of specific collaboration across the Council of State. Three examples of those:
-With the State Auditor — working to expand availability of auditors to smaller communities in our state so that they can benefit from timely audits and access to debt.
-With the Attorney General — combating financial fraud, particularly among our seniors.
-With the Superintendent of Public Instruction — enhancing available financial education options in our high schools.
What steps will you take to make sure the State Health Plan remains solvent and what changes, if any, will you make to retiree benefits considering the state’s retiree benefit liability?
There are many steps necessary to insure solvency for the SHP. In the short term, we need to re-negotiate the PBM contract to a cost-plus model, and to either complete or abandon the Clear Pricing Plan — a worthy initiative but without an ability to compel participation it raises costs. In the long term, the SHP needs to adopt an accountable care model. SHP members, working with their doctors, will be able to choose higher quality providers, at lower expense, in the future.
reason we have a near 25% vacancy rate in our state government, which threatens both our state’s pension and health plans.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings?
Yes.
How will you work with the other nine members of the council, including the governor?
My plan for working with the other members of the council is focusing on the areas where we have joint needs from our various offices and working together to find a solution. Similar to my time in the legislature, I’ll focus on building relationships with the other members so I can best understand what their departments need and what could overlap with my own department. That way we can come together and figure out potential solutions that work for everyone’s department and the state as a whole.
What steps will you take to make sure the State Health Plan remains solvent and what changes, if any, will you make to retiree benefits considering the state’s retiree benefit liability?
To make the State Health Plan solvent we have to focus on improving these three main points: Preventative care and wellness programs; getting more people on the plan through employee recruitment and compensation; and negotiation of fair costs from health care providers and pharmaceutical companies.
The State Health Plan this year ended coverage of Wegovy, Saxenda and Zepbound, weight-loss drugs that were heavily used by state employees on the plan. Will you reinstate coverage of these drugs? What’s your strategy to keep drugs covered and costs low?
The State Health Plan this year ended coverage of Wegovy, Saxenda and Zepbound, weight-loss drugs that were heavily used by state employees on the plan. Will you reinstate coverage of these drugs? What’s your strategy to keep drugs covered and costs low?
The SHP needs to reinstate coverage of these drugs as they clearly provide long-term material benefit to our employees. We will negotiate with the providers to lower cost and empower SHP discretion, in exchange for being the exclusive provider for an extended term. I was encouraged to see Eli Lilly materially reduced the retail price for Zepbound in late August, which should portend well for the SHP’s negotiations.
What changes will you make to how the state’s pension plan is managed? Will you shift investments from cash to stock?
The State Pension needs to make 6.5% per year – this will allow us to fulfill our promises to those who have served our state without asking too much from our state budget. Our strategy should be to take as little risk as possible while still expecting this level of return. We do not need to add more stock exposure — but we should invest the cash into the mortgage market to improve our expected return. Our next treasurer must have a specific plan to improve performance; only one of us does.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
I still worry about the federal deficit and would like to see a larger focus than the party currently has on getting our fiscal house in order. That said, the Republican position here is vastly superior to the fiscal blowout that has come from Democratic administrations.
Yes, I will work to reinstate these drugs. But I will do it in a way that is a fair cost to the members and to the plan. These drugs are known to have a real impact on helping curb obesity — which, if unaddressed, will lead to worse health outcomes and more expensive health care in the future. By leveraging our bargaining power with the drug companies, we can provide these drugs in a way that benefits the plan and our members.
What changes will you make to how the state’s pension plan is managed? Will you shift investments from cash to stock?
We must invest more of our cash. Currently our pension has 14% sitting in cash, with comparable pensions at around 2-3%.
With our total value of over $120 billion, we could invest over $10 billion extra in the market — providing extra returns that could fully fund the pension plan and adequate COLAs — and still have a higher cash balance than any other pension. With no serious amount of additional risk, we can simply invest the funds in fairly low-risk index funds and vastly improve the performance of the plan.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
Broadly, we see that urban areas are blue and rural areas are red, so most Democrats just focus on the blue areas. But it is the rural areas that need investments most from the state, so that folks there can have all the opportunities previous generations were blessed with. I strongly believe the lack of opportunities and investment has led to the radicalism we see in politics — and I believe we should focus just as much attention on rural areas with a message of bridging the urban-rural divide.
vote early, nc.
the easiest way to vote is early with your physical student ID.
EARLY VOTING ENDS: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2
ELECTION DAY: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5
What to bring: Student ID or NC driver’s license; the physical card, not a digital ID.
Need to transfer your registration or register as a new voter? Use same-day registration available only during Early Voting.
For more information, visit progressnc.org/ college. Problems at the polls? Ask to use a provisional ballot and call the Hotline:
Eugene Myrick brings community involvement to the race for Raleigh mayor
Pierce Bruns Correspondent
Eugene Myrick, a radio producer and educator, is on the ballot for mayor of Raleigh this November. He hopes to bring his experience in community activism to be a voice for the city’s citizens.
The Shaw University alumnus spent considerable time working in education, working with child residents of Dorothea Dix Hospital and in special education in his birthplace of New York City.
Myrick later began a career working in radio, which took him across the country before coming back to North Carolina. However, he said his return was bittersweet due to the changes he had seen.
“Coming back into North Carolina in 2018, I just really noticed the changes,” Myrick said. “A lot of homelessness.”
Housing affordability is the primary concern for Myrick, who criticized the city’s metrics for affordable housing of 30% of a family’s income as “unrealistic.” Instead, Myrick is proposing housing assistance based on individual income.
“I’m focusing more on an individual’s income,” Myrick said. “I call it income-based housing. So it would be 30% of your income
at the area median income.”
Myrick said the largest change he has seen in Raleigh is the rise in prices in his neighborhood, specifically Biltmore Hills, a predominantly Black neighborhood in southeast Raleigh with an aging population.
Myrick has raised concerns about taxation and other issues on behalf of the Biltmore residents at Raleigh City Council, but said his efforts have been unsuccessful and prompted him to run for mayor.
“I just felt like no one was listening,” Myrick said. “So I decided to put my name in the hat.”
Myrick has also criticized the city’s usage of land, believing that the city should be using public land to build more affordable housing units. Myrick cited the demolition of the Dorothea Dix Hospital of North Carolina as an example of the city’s poor urban management.
“They literally closed up the mental health facility to create a park, a 318 acre park,” Myrick said. “So that’s city-owned land where you can actually take some of that and create affordable housing.”
Myrick has criticized public-private partnerships and questioned their efficacy. He said the city has often mismanaged these arrangements to the detriment of the community.
“What the city does is they focus on public-
private partnerships, but again, they get it wrong,” Myrick said. “Because most publicprivate partnerships end up with our public dollars in somebody’s private pocket.”
Myrick also plans to focus on public transit if elected, particularly on increasing pay for bus drivers and increasing bus frequency. However, Myrick does not advocate for the creation of rail transit in Raleigh, nor the creation of bus rapid transit which was approved by Wake County voters in 2016. Raleigh has plans for the new infrastructure to be fully functionable by 2035.
“I think Raleigh is past the opportunity to do light rail or anything like that, but we are not past the opportunity to utilize a bus system, not a bus rapid transit system,” Myrick said. “That makes absolutely no sense right now.”
When it comes to financing these endeavors, Myrick has proposed rescinding sip and stroll, the city’s policy of allowing drinking in public, due to the cost of private security. Moreover, Myrick plans on reallocating funds, criticizing the gradual increase in the city’s budget over the past couple of years.
“So the goal is to be able to use that money and be accountable by using the money that we already have,” Myrick said. “I’d like to add a prime example. The police budget increases
every year, but the police officers are not getting an increase in pay. So what exactly are we doing with that money?”
Myrick said he believes that the mayor, despite their limited jurisdiction, has to force the hand of other government entities like Wake County and the state legislature.
“As mayor, one of the things you can do is you can go down into the state legislature, and you can let it be known, this is what we need in the city of Raleigh,” Myrick said. “So they would have to try to force their hand and get it done.”
Myrick expressed hope to increase the pride of city employees in their jobs as a part of his campaign as well, citing the pride of workers in his home city of New York regardless of the issues going on behind the scenes.
“One of the other things is that the NYPD, like New York, they’ll complain about pay, they’ll complain about time off, but they are also proud of their jobs,” Myrick said. “New York Police Department consider themselves the finest. The firefighters consider themselves the boldest. Even the sanitation workers consider themselves the strongest. … They’re proud of the jobs that they have. And I want the same thing for city employees, regardless of which branch of government that you’re in.”
Terrance Ruth prioritizes housing security and equity in Raleigh mayoral campaign
Ally Tennant News Editor
Terrance Ruth, an assistant professor in NC State’s School of Social Work and Africana Studies program, is running for Raleigh mayor, focusing on housing insecurity and equity for all in his second bid for the role.
After finishing second to Mayor MaryAnn Baldwin in 2022, Ruth is returning with a renewed focus, drawing from his leadership experience as the executive director of North Carolina’s NAACP. Ruth said his ability to lead and engage communities goes beyond holding office, making him well-suited to serve Raleigh.
“For mayor, we’re looking for leadership,” Ruth said. “In that leadership, you’re looking for someone who can provide a vision that can make sure they’re being present in community and hear from residents, so when they pass governing decisions that is representative of the population, that type of leadership most of our residents are concerned
about they’re concerned about feeling that policy is happening to them and not with them.”
Ruth faces four other candidates in the race. He distinguishes himself through his leadership style and emphasis on addressing the housing crisis.
“Housing, for me, is the key to unlocking every other element,” Ruth said.
“That’s why we operate on a housing-first model. Our housing-first model suggests that if you have a person first, you can take care of everything else that’s ailing or impacting that human being.”
Ruth proposes a countywide approach to acquire land for long-term affordable housing, highlighting the need for collaboration among municipalities to address housing shortages in Raleigh and Wake County.
To improve opportunities for Black, brown and women-owned businesses, Ruth plans to implement recommendations from Raleigh’s disparity study, which mandates equitable access to government contracts. He said creating a
supportive pipeline for these businesses is essential for building generational wealth and providing pathways out of poverty in the community.
Kristen Williams, an alumna of the NC State Department of Sociology and Anthropology and a small business owner in Raleigh, met Ruth through her organization, Amalgamation, which secures government contracts for Black and womenowned businesses and veterans.
“First of all, he had no hesitation to meet with somebody that he had never heard of and never met,” Williams said.
“He invited me to meet him for coffee, and he was just not only so interested in hearing my vision and not just to show that he showed up.”
Ruth’s policies include addressing safety through preventive measures and promoting economic security.
“What we’re seeing is an increase in requests for law enforcement,” Ruth said.
“To those who were just given a pay increase, new hires are making almost the same amount as those who have been in
law enforcement for five, six years. So they say they’re seeing a decrease in senior officers. And connected to that as well, you’re seeing an increased morale. This is coming from law enforcement.”
Ruth said to enhance the quality of education in the city, it is crucial to ensure that teachers have access to affordable housing in Raleigh.
“We have two teachers at my son’s school who are without a home,” Ruth said. “They’re homeless, but they’re working at the school. So we’re seeing homelessness in situations and in certain economic profiles that we’re not used to.”
Williams said Ruth’s campaign is not just addressing housing security, it is interconnected with other issues like education, equity in government and employment opportunities.
“For me, he’s actually been the first candidate in quite a while that demonstrates this very comprehensive view of how these things are interconnected,” Williams said.
Harris vs. Trump: The Next Four Years
Shaere Delgiudice news editor
As we near Election Day on Nov. 5, Americans are bracing themselves, no matter the outcome, for the changes and reactions that will come after this election is over.
The two major party candidates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, have positioned themselves as the antithesis to one another.
However, voters are not just selecting the candidates themselves, but also what they want most for the future. The election outcome will certainly shape the next four years, but it could also have impacts that shape the next several decades of American life, from the economy to taxation, immigration and more.
This article will examine the policies and experts’ forecasts to present what the next four years are likely to look like under each candidate.
Your money
What would four years of a Harris presidency look like for your wallet?
Both Gallup and Pew Research Center found that the economy was the top issue for voters in this election. Harris’ taxation plan consists of increasing tax benefits for families and offsetting the increase by raising corporate taxes.
She plans to help small business owners by increasing the startup expense deduction, from $5,000 to $50,000. She also plans to raise the child tax credit for parents of newborns to $6,000. Per Newsweek, Harris wants to provide “$3,600 per child for families with children under 6.”
High costs of living across the board are a big problem facing many Americans as well.
At a campaign event here in Raleigh, Harris laid out her plan to address the lack of affordable housing saying, “By the end of my first term, we will end America’s housing shortage by building 3 million new homes and rentals that are affordable for the middle class.”
She pointed out that the increase in housing prices is skyrocketing the size of down payments, saying “My administration will provide first-time homebuyers with $25,000 to help with the down payment on a new home.”
The cost of groceries is also affecting Americans, with Harris pledging to enact the first federal law against food gouging.
Trump has proposed “eliminating income tax on tips and Social Security benefits, along with overtime pay.”
He has also pledged to impose a tariff of 20% on all imports, raising it to 60% on imports from China.
This tariff plan has been criticized by economists as well as by those in his own party, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said that tariffs “raise prices for American consumers.”
He also supports extending the tax cuts he put in place in 2017 as well as reducing the corporate tax rate to 15%.
Your healthcare
Another big issue on the minds of voters is healthcare, particularly as it pertains to reproductive healthcare and abortion, with the issue of abortion turning the tide in favor of the Democrats in the 2023 primaries.
Healthcare holds a high level of importance in many voters’ minds, even in states where Trump and the Republican party have previously won.
According to KFF, a non-profit focused on health policy and polling, 89% of voters “think this election will have an impact on abortion rights, and 61% said it will have a “major impact.”
Harris wants to codify the protections that were previously in place under Roe v. Wade and has even previously supported ending the filibuster to pass this legislation in Congress.
Outside of reproductive healthcare, Harris says she will expand and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, extend “the $35 cap on insulin and $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket spending for seniors to all Americans” and “work with states to cancel medical debt” for more people, according to her official campaign site. She also pledges to strengthen Medicare.
When it comes to reproductive healthcare, Trump has said the issue should be left to the states, but also suggested he might use his presidential power to limit access to mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortions, according to the Washington Post.
He has changed his position back and forth several times over the years and “has not clarified if he would veto a national ban.”
Trump said that a Florida abortion ban at six weeks was “too strict,” saying that “there has to be more time” and seemed to suggest he would vote for a ballot referendum allowing abortion in Florida until fetal viability, saying “I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks.”
One day later, however, he said that he would vote against the amendment and allow the six-week ban to remain.
Aside from reproductive healthcare, Trump has said that he wants to replace the Affordable Care Act but only had “concepts of a plan” to do so.
Your environment
In the past, Harris supported a ban on fracking but later disavowed this pledge.
As a senator, Harris sponsored the Green New Deal, but as a candidate, her advisors have steered more toward talking about how Harris plans to work on further implementing the Inflation Reduction Act than talking about some of the more left-leaning policies she has previously supported.
This act, which she cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of, will put more than $370 billion over 10 years into wind, solar, batteries and electric vehicles.
Trump has “led chants of ‘drill, baby,
drill’” and has said he would consider ending the $7,500 tax credit on electric vehicle purchases. His main focus relating to the environment is his aim for the U.S. to be energy independent. He wants to return to fossil fuels and tap into the nation’s oil reserves.
Your Second Amendment rights
Harris has recently talked about being a gun owner herself but has in the past supported repealing immunity from gun manufacturers, allowing victim’s families to sue. Calling for every state to have a “red-flag” law, which allows people, through petition, to ask that a judge temporarily remove firearms from those who may pose a risk to themselves or others.
Trump has been a big proponent of Second Amendment rights and his advisers say this will continue if he’s reelected, with one aim of his being to appoint federal judges who oppose new limits on firearms.
Your education
Harris indicated that she will continue to push for more student loan forgiveness in her administration.
For Trump, his focus on education is geared toward supporting school choice. He says he wants to “eliminate” the Department of Education and his administration will likely try to incentivize more private schooling and homeschooling.
He has also said he would cut funding for schools that teach critical race theory and what he calls other, “inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content.”
Immigration
Harris has faced heavy criticism from Republicans for the widely repeated claim that she was appointed “Border Czar” for the Biden-Harris administration, however, this is not true.
Harris’ immigration policy under her own administration remains largely unclear though.
Trump aims to carry out the “largest domestic deportation operation in American history” and restore the immigration policies he had in his first term. Additionally, he wants to complete the wall along the Southern border.
As Election Day draws closer and the race remains even, it may not be clear which candidate will end up winning. One thing that is clear; however, is that Americans are likely to see some big changes under each candidate.
CONTRIBUTED BY FLICKR
Janet Cowell touts extensive experience in Raleigh mayoral campaign
Janet Cowell, former state treasurer and Raleigh City Council member, is leveraging her extensive experience as she vies for the position of Raleigh’s mayor in the upcoming election.
Cowell is originally from Memphis, Tennessee but has called Raleigh home for 27 years. She sees her candidacy as an opportunity to shape the city’s future amid rapid growth and change.
“We are now a big city — half a million folks,” Cowell said. “I’ve had an incredible amount of opportunity here, but I know that change brings with it some challenges for others.”
Cowell’s vision for Raleigh centers on creating a city that “works for everybody,” addressing her three main pillars of housing affordability, public safety and environmental protection; issues Cowell said most Raleigh residents face. Her approach draws from her varied background, including stints on the Raleigh City Council, in the state senate, as North Carolina State Treasurer and most recently as CEO of the Dix Park Conservancy.
Tackling Raleigh’s housing affordability crisis is a top priority for Cowell. She supports recent efforts to diversify housing options, including measures to facilitate the construction of duplexes and townhomes. However, Cowell said she believes more can be done.
“A lot of the most creative high-growth cities have a lot of inequality,” Cowell said. “Raleigh is no different from that.”
Drawing from her experience as state treasurer, Cowell said she proposes using
tax increment financing to fund affordable housing initiatives. This tool would allow the city to leverage increased property tax revenues from major public investments, such as bus rapid transit projects, to subsidize affordable housing and public amenities.
Cowell also advocates for utilizing public land for housing development, citing the abundance of state-owned property in Raleigh. Cowell said she plans to work closely with faith communities and initiatives like One Wake, which focuses on using public land for housing.
Addressing Raleigh’s “downtown dead zone,” a 20-block space with no retail, is another key focus for Cowell. She said she is inspired by Jane Jacobs, a 20th-century thinker, to maintain a street grid that promotes movement and activity.
Cowell supports efforts to reconnect downtown with surrounding areas, including a grant application to improve pedestrian access across Western Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between downtown and the growing areas to the south, including Dorthea Dix Park and NC State.
Cowell, who is also a former lecturer of the Master’s of Public Administration program at NC State, said she would like to explore opportunities for local universities to have a more prominent presence downtown, similar to Clemson University’s storefront presence in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. She said this approach aims to better integrate the university’s resources and expertise with the broader community.
“How can we work with Shaw, NC State, Wake Tech to have more presence
downtown because it is the seat of government,” Cowell said. “There’s public policy programs at NC State, all sorts of different opportunities to have students also have a foothold in downtown.”
Cowell’s approach to public safety involves a multifaceted strategy. While supporting recent salary increases for police officers, she also advocates for expanding alternative response units to handle noncriminal like mental health crises and drug overdoses.
This includes the Addressing Crises through Outreach, Referrals, Networking and Service program, or ACORNS. Cowell said this approach would allow for better allocation of police resources.
“I was talking to a police officer … they get maybe one call an hour, let’s say that they handle on average,” Cowell said. “And she said six of those calls are probably more social service-oriented … It’s something that is really not fundamentally about criminal and safety. If we could build an alternative response unit or expand ACORNS where the police can then focus on the real public safety issues, and you get social workers, clinical psychologists and others to address those issues,” Cowell said.
Environmental resilience is a key component of Cowell’s platform. She highlights Raleigh’s selection for a Bloomberg investment program focused on addressing climate change at the city level.
Cowell said she supports practical, tangible approaches to environmental protection, such as enhancing the city’s creek systems. Cowell envisions projects that combine flood mitigation with public amenities, citing ongoing efforts at Dix Park as an example, and advocates for in-
creased use of native plants and natural systems to improve water absorption and reduce erosion.
Cowell said she stands out as a candidate for her extensive experience in both public and private sectors. Her tenure as state treasurer provided insights into municipal finance and debt management, while her recent role at Dix Park allowed her to work closely with city staff and community partners.
“I’ve worked very closely with the city for the last three and a half years,” Cowell said. “I know the staff. I know the city manager. I know the best parts of the city.”
Cole Newsome, Cowell’s campaign manager and NC State alumnus, highlighted Cowell’s knowledge of city issues and her ability to leverage municipal tools effectively.
“She understands how to use the city’s tools at its disposal to make sure we address the housing crisis, public safety and environmental protections for everyone in Raleigh,” Newsome said.
Cowell stressed the significance of local elections, particularly for young voters and students. She said city government has the most direct impact on residents’ daily lives, from garbage collection to street safety.
“It is the closest, most personal and accountable realm of government,” Cowell said. “We’re like the infantry of government.”
Newsome too said he urges students to engage in local politics.
“This is the branch of government that is going to impact the lives of people in Raleigh the most,” Newsome said. “It is the branch of government which they can interact with most directly.”
Matthew Burkhart News Editor
Governor’s race: Stein Holds lead over Robinson
A recent poll shows Democratic-nominee and current Attorney General Josh Stein remains in the lead against Republican opponent Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson.
Stein currently leads the polls by 16 points with 50% of voters, Robinson trailing behind with 34% and 15% of voters are undecided.
The North Carolina general election for governor will occur on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Mark Robinson will face Josh Stein in an attempt to replace current Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. Cooper is finishing up his second term as governor after serving as North Carolina attorney general.
Stein, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, attended Dartmouth College and Harvard University for law and public policy. He previously held positions as an attorney, deputy attorney general and senator. In 2017, he became the North Carolina Attorney General, and earlier this year, won the Democratic primary with 69.6% of votes.
Republican candidate Mark Robinson is from Greensboro, North Carolina, beginning his career in furniture manufacturing. In 2018, he gave a speech at a Greensboro City Council meeting advocating for the Second Amendment right to bear arms. A video of the speech went viral on social media, leading Robinson to run for NC lieutenant governor.
In 2020, Robinson became the first Black lieutenant governor of North Carolina, winning the Republican primary election for gov-
ernor by 64.8%.
Despite the steady change in numbers regarding the polls, Robinson struggles to sustain a strong base of voters due to his many controversial statements. A Facebook video posted online on June 30, 2024, shows him passionately stating, “Some folks need killin’” while speaking at Lake Church in Bladen County. He later referred to it as a “matter of necessity,” and “we need to start handling our business again.”
Donald Trump endorsed Robinson for governor and referred to him as “Martin Luther King on steroids.” Martin Luther King III strongly disagreed saying, “My father would not support Mark Robinson, and Mark Robinson is nothing like my father.” In stark contrast to Martin Luther King Jr., Robinson has been known to insult the Civil Rights Movement.
Both Democrats and Republicans have criticized him for his remarks about serious issues regarding the LGBTQ+ community, gun control and abortion and reproductive health.
Robinson has received so much backlash that senior members of his campaign have stepped down from their positions. He also lost two endorsements from Gov. Brian Kemp, the governor of Georgia and Gov. Bill Lee, the governor of Tennessee.
This comes after CNN reported that Robinson posted many inappropriate comments on a pornography website, including one calling himself a “black NAZI!”
Stein is currently the most popular candidate among independents, with 49% preferring him to the 26% preferring Robinson. Women and
Black American voters also prefer him over Robinson. As reported in the polls, 73% of Black Americans and 51% of women favor Stein.
Unlike his opponent, Stein supports women’s right to abortion and reproductive rights. Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic endorsed Stein back in January of this year.
In 2023, Stein released a statement concerning North Carolina’s abortion law, saying, “Women, not politicians, should be making these decisions.”
Contrarily, Robinson supports an abortion ban. He has previously made comments calling abortion “murder” and “genocide.”
Stein has also shown concern for the mental health of the youth. He has begun to fight for legislation that would increase the safety of social media use for children.
Robinson’s platform focuses on improving the economy, education system, veteran’s care and increasing public safety in the state. Stein’s platform consists of improving the economy and workforce, education, housing affordability, healthcare and women’s rights.
Both candidates would make North Carolina history if elected – Robinson would be the first Black governor of North Carolina andStein would become the first Jewish governor.
North Carolina is one of only eleven states that will hold gubernatorial elections this year and has been named a battleground state for the presidential election. North Carolina’s status as a battleground state also holds weight in the 2024 presidential race.
This year’s gubernatorial race can influence
the turnout of voters in the election of Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump. However, predicting the outcome is challenging because of North Carolina’s history of splitting the ticket.
Other candidates that are on the ballot for the gubernatorial race include Mike Ross for the Libertarian Party, Wayne Turner for the Green Party and Vinny Smith for the Constitution Party. The combined votes for these candidates currently sits below five percent.
The general consensus is that Robinson is the more extreme candidate, which may displease some voters. Stein is a less extreme option for those who prefer a more moderate candidate.
Previously, seven out of the past eight governors that voters elected were Democrats, but this election still has the potential to swing either way. Ultimately, the state’s future rests in the people’s hands.
The early voting period is from Oct. 17 - Nov. 2. North Carolina State University’s Talley Student Union is an early voting site for those who want to cast an early ballot. The site will be open Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. It will also be open Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Voters must be registered to vote and must bring a valid photo ID. Anyone needing to register or update their information may do so at an early voting site before casting a ballot.
Talley Student Union will not be a site for the general election day on Nov. 5. After the early voting period, voters will have to vote at their assigned voting location.
Aiyanna Moore correspondent
CONTRIBUTED BY CREATIVE COMMONS
Reeves Peeler is knocking on Raleigh’s door
Kate Denning Editor-in-Chief
Nothing quite encapsulates Reeves Peeler’s Raleigh roots like running into his brother’s former high school band mate while knocking on doors for his city council campaign.
Peeler, a Broughton High and NC State grad, is a born and bred Raleighite who plans to live in the city for the rest of his life. That’s just one reason he’s running for one of Raleigh’s at-large city council seats this election season.
In-person canvassing has become a hallmark of Peeler’s campaigning efforts. Michael Altman, Peeler’s campaign manager and a second-year studying sociology at NC State, said they have been knocking on doors for nearly 15 weeks straight and reached over 15,000 voters. In an era that values in-person interaction less and less, Peeler appreciates the personal nature that knocking on doors entails.
“When you want to talk about an issue in the city that’s important to you, say it’s housing and transit and parks, the best ways to hear someone’s true feelings and opinion on it is to be looking them in the eye, face-to-face, and also in a place they feel comfortable, which is on their doorstep,”
Peeler said.
Peeler has served as a member of Raleigh’s Planning Commission, which advises local officials on everything from zoning changes to community development, for the last year and a half, which he said made it clear how Raleigh’s city planning strategy could be improved.
While canvassing on Oct. 3, a retired couple answered Peeler’s knock. Through a brief conversation, the couple said they took issue with the city’s permitting process after their neighbors next door were allowed to add garages to their brand new houses, but they were not due to the age of their home. Peeler said this is an example of how the city prioritizes new developments.
“Often our permitting and zoning rules do not favor people who’ve lived here a long time,” Peeler said. “It favors the new developers who want to tear something down and build some big, fancy place, and that’s what he was getting at. So often, when people don’t even know the details or the background, they’ll have a take like that, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, you have experienced it correctly.’ They might not know why, but they’re usually correct.”
Peeler’s platform places an emphasis on public transit and pedestrian-friendly design. While Raleigh may seem like a city developed to its fullest potential, Peeler said there’s room to grow.
“I live three blocks from Moore Square, and there’s no sidewalks on my street,” Peeler said. “So in a lot of ways, we don’t have urban infrastructure in places that really need it. Now we have it in nice parts of town. In working class parts, we don’t have a lot. You go out to North Raleigh, even a mile past the beltline, in some places there’s no bus service at all. So a lot of parts of what you call ‘outside the beltline Raleigh’ don’t have any of this bikeable, pedestrian-friendly, bus-friendly infrastructure.”
In addition to a reverence for his hometown, Peeler values the nonpartisan aspect of Raleigh’s city council, which allows officials and voters alike to solely focus on such policies. While some candidates may choose to run under the name of a particular party, that affiliation does not show up on the ticket.
“The partisan nature of a swing state like North Carolina — Democrats versus Republicans in our two party system are just banging heads all the time,” Peeler said. “I think a lot of that is why we see no good legislation get passed for working class people, because it’s really a silly dichotomy of party politics. What’s nice about municipal politics where it’s nonpartisan is that it really takes that out of it. It’s more down to the issues.”
Peeler is openly endorsed by the NC chapter of Democratic Socialists of America and the NC State chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, so while he may not be running as a candidate for one party, he doesn’t mind embracing labels.
Although he’s always been a registered Democrat, Peeler said he generally stayed on the sidelines for much of his life. It was Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign that inspired him to become more politically active.
During that period, Peeler got involved with a DSA chapter to advocate for renters’ rights and affordable housing after experiencing trouble paying his own rent while he lived in California.
“I just saw that the politics of working class people really jived with what I turned out to be taught by my parents, what values I had, like everyone matters and people really deserve a good life, good pay, good benefits, good time off,” Peeler said. “I think that’s where socialist values really run important and true for me.”
Peeler said people don’t always notice that DSA backs him, but he stands by the endorsement proudly because he doesn’t believe the politics of working class people, such as advocating for labor unions and higher wages, belong to the left or right.
“I would take that same message to the most rural part of North Carolina, most right wing part of North Carolina,” Peeler said. “Everyone sees this as a problem — that corporations have too much power in America and labor has too little power.”
In addition to working on the Peeler campaign and being a student, Altman has his own history of political organizing.
Altman and Peeler met while Peeler was working at Down Home North Carolina, a nonprofit working to organize working-class people in rural communities, and Altman was aiding in the unionization efforts at Garner’s Amazon warehouse. Altman began working on Peeler’s campaign this spring and, after a shift in personnel, stepped up to serve as the campaign’s sole manager at just 20 years old.
“Reeves has been the best mentor for me,” Altman said. “I definitely have a lot of organizing instincts as is, and I had some of the experience, but Reeves is always there to give advice. He’s just a good person to learn from. I tell everybody I still
A Reeves Peeler sign sits on Shepherd Street in Raleigh on Thursday, Oct. 3,
Peeler’s hope is to build a future where Raleigh is affordable, green, walkable, safe and a place where everyone can thrive.
have no idea what I’m doing, but it’s about doing it — that’s the biggest thing.”
This is the first year Raleigh city council elections have taken place during a presidential election year, so the pair expects a record turnout. But, that also means they have little idea of how many votes are needed to win. As Election Day inches closer, Peeler and Altman are both focused on maintaining the momentum of their campaigning efforts and finishing the race strong.
Ultimately, Peeler’s campaign comes down to making Raleigh be a city that works for everyone. “Yes, we might have some councilors that are doing an okay job, and they’re nice people, but we can do better,” Peeler said. “We deserve better as a city, and working people in this city deserve the best. We’ve got to change the status quo, and having hundreds of thousands of voters see that isn’t easy. That’s the hurdle, but we think we can do it.”
CATE HUMPHREYS/TECHNICIAN
Reeves Peeler, a candidate running for an at-large seat on Raleigh City Council in 2024, sits outside of Cup A Joe on Hillsborough Street on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. Peeler hopes to build a future where Raleigh is affordable, green, walkable, safe and a place where everyone can thrive.
CATE HUMPHREYS/TECHNICIAN
2024.
Gen Z in the ‘24 Election
Ross Emelle Staff Writer
The public has cast a spotlight on Generation Z as the 2024 presidential election draws closer. The youngest generation was a major factor in the 2020 presidential election, and their impact will likely be felt in this year’s election.
In the 2020 election, Gen Z voted 11% more than young voters in 2016. However, Steven Greene, a professor of political science at NC State University, said Gen Z’s political leaning was the bigger story, “Gen Z being, if you just look by generations, the most democratic of all the generations, that’s an impact. That’s something that helps Democrats.”
In the 2020 election, Gen Z supported President Joe Biden at a rate 23% higher than Baby Boomers and 1% higher than Millennials. A study from the Pew Research Center found that Gen Z voters are similar to millennial voters, tending to hold more progressive views than older generations. Despite this, younger voters still vote significantly less than older ones.
Greene attributed lower voter turnout in Gen Z to age: “The 20-year-old who doesn’t vote, in 40 years, is gonna have a mortgage is gonna have a kid in the school system is, gonna have a sense of rootedness and connection in their community, has likely lived there a number of years.”
Greene claimed this rootedness, along with age, motivates older voters, “I use in my classes the phrase ‘a greater stake in the system’, and that just takes time and life experience. And to some degree voting is a habit, and the more you do it, the more you keep on doing it, so it can take time for that habit to build up.”
Further, this lower turnout is, in part, by design. “Because young voters historically turnout at the lowest rates, and older voters turn out at the highest, campaigns are much more likely to pitch their messages overall to older voters, which just makes young voters feel that much more disconnected,” asserts Greene.
Despite the lower turnout, Greene said it’s likely that Democrats will try to attract younger voters to improve their
chances in 2024. “For Democrats, an area where they have a clear advantage is young voters. So my guess is there is probably more of an effort than usual, really, to get young voters out and participating and voting this year,” Greene claimed.
Regardless of party, there has been as there is most years per Greene, a movement to energize younger voters. This movement is occurring at NC State, with the university updating their “Pack the Polls” website and holding “Voting Toolkit” sessions where students can learn more about the electoral process.
Greene also claimed that Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris replacing Biden might help energize young voters, “I think young voters, in particular, had concerns about his age and a general lack of enthusiasm for Joe Biden. I think we’ve probably seen the biggest changes in democratic support among young voters. And, on some level, I think there’s just such a massive sense of relief that there’s a candidate they feel they can get behind.”
Harris has already energized previ -
ously disinterested voters. A study from UCLA found that a third of Gen Z voters who didn’t intend to vote for Biden were motivated to vote after Harris joined the race.
Greene stated that these many factors could lead to higher voter turnout among Gen Z. “I think also, Trump is motivating right? He motivates Republican voters and he motivates Democratic voters against him, obviously. So throw in a [candidate who] positively motivates young voters [such as] Kamala Harris, which Democrats have lacked, and it seems quite possible that young voters will turn out at higher percentages than they have in recent elections,” said Greene.
Voter registration instructions are available on the North Carolina State Board of Elections website. The deadline to register is Oct. 11, 2024. Wake County early voting will occur from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2. Election day is on Nov. 5, 2024 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Any voter in line before 7:30 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
a guide for first-time voters
The 2024 election is right around the corner, and everyone must make their voice heard by exercising their right to vote! However, before heading to the polls there are a few things to keep in mind – numerous elections are taking place beyond the presidential race on Nov. 5. Local officials often directly impact our daily lives more than the president does.
While many voters diligently research the presidential candidates, they overlook the equally important local elections. So as you prepare to cast your ballot, take the time to understand all candidates and issues at stake. It’s important to note that Democratic nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris has been very vocal in her initiative to raise taxes on the wealthy. One of her goals is to create a more equitable economic landscape for middle and lowerclass families. It’s also important to note that the Democratic candidate for Governor of North Carolina, current Attorney General Josh Stein, shares the belief
that the United States’ current economy doesn’t promote equitable opportunity for impoverished communities. Thus his initiatives involve lowering costs, raising the minimum wage, and cutting taxes for working families.
Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump has been equally vocal about his initiative to reduce inflation within the American economy by lowering taxes and raising tariffs. This initiative doesn’t pose equitable benefits for the upper, middle and lower classes. Trump’s previous initiatives as president disproportionately gave tax breaks to the wealthy and did nothing to help the average American.
For many college students, this will be their first trip to the polls, especially with presidential candidates on the ballot. Here’s everything you need to know to vote.
To vote in person, you must be registered in the county where you plan to vote. If you’re voting on campus at Talley Student Union or anywhere in the Raleigh area, you need to be registered in Wake County. Alternatively, you can register to vote in your home county but
this will require you to travel home to vote in person. If you prefer to stay in Raleigh, request an absentee ballot to ensure your vote is counted in your home county. You can check your voter registration status at at the North Carolina State Board of Elections website. Voters may choose to vote on or before Election Day during the early voting period which will run until Nov. 2. During the early voting period, voters have flexibility on when and where they can vote, having the freedom to vote at any site within the county they are registered to vote in. Additionally, voters can apply for same-day registration. On Tuesday, Nov. 5 the polls will be packed wall to wall as everyone rushes to cast their ballot, under stricter guidelines than early voting. On Election Day registered voters can only vote at their assigned voting location. Thus, I urge you to take the time to go out and cast your ballot early for the ease of convenience and peace of mind. Before filling out your ballot, you should carefully read all provided instructions including additional information enclosed in your voter pamphlet. To officially make your selection use a black
or blue pen and completely bubble in the ovals on your sheet. Try to avoid going outside of the line. If you do happen to make a mistake there are instructions at the top that advise on what to do. Once you successfully fill out your sheet, place it into the envelope and make sure to sign the outside of the envelope. Finally, make sure your ballot is turned in on time. No postage is required if you’re mailing your ballot in the United States.
Please consider the potential impact you’re making whether you plan to vote or not. Voting isn’t merely about choosing leaders, it’s a crucial part of our civic duty. For centuries many groups in the United States were denied the constitutional right to vote. Embracing and exercising the right to vote is essential as it shapes the very structure of our democratic government, founded on the ability of the people to decide who represents them. Voting is the ability of citizens to express their opinions on issues that matter to them and influence the direction of their communities and the country as a whole. Each vote represents a voice, and collectively, these voices can lead to significant change.
Blake Anderson Correspondent
Paul Fitts calls for more police, diversifying taxes in Raleigh mayoral candidacy
Matthew Junkroski Staff Writer
Paul Fitts, a mortgage lender, is the only Republican candidate for Raleigh mayor this election cycle. For Fitts, the primary concerns in this election are Raleigh’s public safety, the economy and housing.
The decision to run for mayor was an easy one for Fitts. He said he feels public safety hasn’t been a focus of Raleigh’s city council.
Fitts said Raleigh is experiencing a lack of police officers. Currently, there are 800 police officers for Raleigh’s population of nearly 500,000.
“These people cannot work efficiently and effectively as they should,” Fitts said. “Maybe they become more stressed. Maybe they become more trigger-happy because they’re overworked, they’re underpaid. We have to give them a break.”
To remedy this, Fitts said Raleigh needs a minimum of 400 more police officers, which he plans to fund through diversifying tax bases.
One way Fitts said he plans to accomplish this is through property taxes for tax-exempt state-owned properties such
as UNC System schools. Fitts said North Carolina owns 161 properties in Raleigh, which would add up to around $150 million in property taxes.
“If I stop paying $150 million a year in property taxes, I’d have a lot more money left in my bank,” Fitts said. “The point is they need to relinquish those properties to the city so at no land acquisition costs, we build properties there.”
Fitts said he believes taxing these nontaxable spaces are important to Raleigh’s citizens.
“It puts an unfair burden on some people, and I feel like if we focus on broadening our tax base and the issues that are necessary, it helps everybody,” Fitts said.
Fitts said another way is through expanding tax bases by creating housing, which he says he’s uniquely qualified for due to helping house people as a mortgage lender for over 25 years.
“Nobody who’s running for office right now has put more people in houses than I have,” Fitts said. “So I feel like I have an eye and a talent for actually figuring out how to make housing affordable and available.”
Fitts said to create more room for housing,
he plans to move prisoners from the NC Correctional Institution for Women and Raleigh’s Central Prison outside Raleigh, replacing the prisons with townhouses and condos.
“They’re all completely underutilized properties,” Fitts said. “If we make the city of Raleigh more livable again, we’ll have businesses come back and make our city more viable.”
Fitts said he would ideally move prisoners from these prisons to recently decommissioned prisons in rural areas such as Hoke Correctional Institution in Raeford, NC, which closed in 2022.
Fitts said he intends to increase Raleigh’s funding through establishing a casino in Raleigh. Fitts said he believes this will enrich Raleigh’s nightlife, create over 5,000 new jobs and draw more visitors into Raleigh.
“I think it would add to what our city looks for,” Fitts said. “I think a casino would bring in more conventions as well. That way, when we’re booking conventions, somebody will say, ‘Hey, they’ve got this in Raleigh. Let’s go check it out.’”
As for transportation, Fitts said he be -
lieves the city should subsidize rideshares to save money on buses.
“I think it’s a better way to look at transit versus more buses or anything like that,” Fitts said. “Buses take up a lot of space. They pollute a lot of energy. It’s a better way to look at it. It’s an infrastructure that’s already in place.”
Fitts said being mayor embodies the idea that, “with great power comes great responsibility.”
“The problem is, I feel like people have had the power, but they haven’t used it responsibly,” Fitts said. “And I think the responsibility needs to be taken more seriously.” Fitts said he wants voters to consider his policies regardless of their party.
“It shouldn’t be about who it is or where I’m from,” Fitts said. “It’s does the message align with somebody’s values? Does somebody understand the practical application involved? … Doesn’t matter what party they are, where they live or what they look like, if we can alleviate their pocketbook issues, they’ll be able to afford gas and groceries again.”
James Shaughnessy IV brings a youthful face to the Raleigh mayoral election
Shaughnessy said he’s running his campaign all on his own.
What began as light banter became a reality when James Shaughnessy IV, a lifetime resident of Raleigh and soon-to-be William Peace University graduate, entered the 2024 Raleigh mayoral race with a vision for improvement and a fresh perspective.
“Someone joked to me, ‘Oh, you should be the mayor,’” Shaughnessy said. “I was like ‘Haha, very funny.’ Then I looked into it. I could actually do this. When I decided to run, I was thinking, it really was the only position that I saw really needs improvement.”
As a pre-law student and hospitality professional of eight years, Shaughnessy said he is running as an independent, primarily to direct attention to local problem solving, not party differences or issues dominating state and federal elections. While his name is listed on voter guides for the Libertarian Party, he said this is simply a recommendation.
“We are at the whim of the state and federal government, which offers a unique set of challenges, but it lets you just focus on the solutions and not have to get involved in a lot of that chicanery,” Shaughnessy said. “I know some people who do have campaign managers, and I really don’t think they’re doing a better job than I am.”
Shaughnessy outlines several key issues as a part of his campaign with housing affordability at the forefront, an issue he considers both a local and federal problem.
“If we can address housing, a lot of things fall into place, whether it’s crime, transportation and mental health,” Shaughnessy said.
Shaughnessy also emphasizes the need for mental health revitalization, drawing from personal experiences including his time volunteering in Ukraine and Poland for three months during the ongoing RussoUkrainian war, as well as the experiences
of a direct family member’s hospitalization.
“I came back, Raleigh didn’t feel like home — I felt angry,” Shaughnessy said. “We need a mental health hospital. We closed Dorthea Dix. There’s a lot of bad things that were going on, but I don’t feel the solution was to close the hospital. Let’s change it and make it better. We could offer long term solutions for a lot of our unhoused community. A lot of them face addiction, which is a mental health problem.”
To address Raleigh’s public transit concerns, Shaughnessy advocates for improved accessibility.
“Raleigh faces a geographical problem where there is a lot of urban sprawl, and it’s a lot of suburbanite sprawl, and having public transit access to suburban neighborhoods is very difficult, very expensive and adds a lot of time to every route,” Shaughnessy said. “I feel like we need to redraw all the routes. We need to redo the way we do stations, make them more comfortable, make sure we have enough buses, which requires more pay to
attract drivers.”
At his university, Shaughnessy is one of two founders of Civic Order, a community engagement club to inform college students interested in learning about politics. Caleb Husmann, an associate political science professor at William Peace and a Raleigh resident of 12 years, has known Shaughnessy since his first semester.
“He’s super involved, extremely passionate and one of the hardest workers I’ve had as a major,” Husmann said. “He’s very service oriented. If I had a student that I could see doing it, it’s James.”
At 25, Shaughnessy stands out as the youngest candidate for the mayoral seat. He said this is one of his greatest strengths for the responsibilities the position entails.
“Because of my upbringing and the chal
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Elliott Jackson Correspondent
SHAUGHNESSY IV continued
opinion
historical elections: Looking to the Past for Guidance in the Future
This November, we stand on the brink of a historic turning point. As the nominees continue to gather supporters, we can explore some career highlights from each candidate.
Current Vice President Kamala Harris is the first woman of color to hold the position of Vice President and the first Black and Asian American woman to receive a major party’s nomination. Prior to taking on the role of Vice President, Harris was renowned as a diligent prosecutor and held the positions of attorney general and senator in the state of California.
Former President Donald Trump is the first former president to be convicted of felony crimes and the only president ever to be fired from “The Celebrity Apprentice.” NBC called for his dismissal following comments he made about Mexican immigrants during his 2016 presidential campaign: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”
With Election Day drawing near, we must ask ourselves who truly has our best interests at heart. One effective way to determine this is by reflecting on previous races to understand the gravity of the upcoming 2024 presidential election and its impact on our collective future.
2000 Election
The 2000 election marked the first time this century that a president rose to office without winning the popular vote. This election is also remembered for its prolonged resolution, extending five weeks beyond Election Day. The race was between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush. Al Gore gained popularity among voters due to his environmental advocacy and association with President Bill Clinton. Following Clinton’s second term, Gore announced his candidacy, garnering significant support from Democrats. Similarly, George W. Bush had deep political connections, being the son of former President George H. W. Bush. On Election Day, Gore secured the popular vote by over 500,000 votes. However, the key to victory was the Electoral College. Throughout the night, the results hinged on Florida, where the vote was too close to call. Eventually, Florida was awarded to Bush, giving him a narrow 5-electoral-vote lead. Although Gore initially conceded, he later
requested a recount due to various voter irregularities including improperly punched ballots, missing names and targeted ID demands from minority voters. After five weeks of legal battles, the U.S. Supreme Court intervened, halting the recount, citing that the process was unconstitutional, effectively securing Bush’s victory.
2016 Election
In 2016, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ran against Republican nominee Donald Trump. Trump ultimately won the election, becoming the oldest person to be sworn in as president at that time. He was also the first president in more than 60 years with no prior experience in Congress or as a governor.
The 2016 election was notable for being the fifth time in U.S. history that the winner of the Electoral College did not win the popular vote. This outcome was attributed to Trump’s success in mobilizing white voters and lowerincome groups.
Leading up to Election Day, Hillary Clinton faced scrutiny when emails from her personal server were leaked. In July 2016, authorities suggested that the emails might contain compromising information regard-
ing her tenure as Secretary of State. Although the investigation ultimately found no evidence of improper use, the controversy arguably set the tone for the remainder of her campaign.
The scandals surrounding the election did not end there. Trump himself faced controversy after a 2005 recording resurfaced in which he made demeaning remarks about women. In the clip, he can be heard saying: “Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p****. You can do anything.”
Following Trump’s inauguration, an FBI report confirmed that Russia interfered with the election. Dissatisfied with the findings, Trump fired the FBI Director and appointed a new one to launch a second investigation. Ultimately, the interference was confirmed, though no concrete evidence of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia was found.
Back to the Present
The 2024 election has all the makings of a historically significant event. The current state of politics is reminiscent of previous elections in many ways. Mirroring 2016,
Donald Trump is once again running for president against a female Democratic nominee. Once again, Trump continues to make inflammatory statements against various ethnic groups and women, most notably regarding the race of his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
As Election Day approaches, parallels also can be drawn to both the 2016 and 2000 election. Following Clinton, Kamala Harris is the second woman in history to receive the Democratic Nomination and is a popular Democratic nominee. Harris is also coincidentally, the vice president while running, similar to Al Gore in 2000 and Joe Biden in 2020.
Now, as the public, we face the challenge of not allowing history to repeat itself. Like Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris is persevering in an environment that has historically worked against women and people of color. Through social media platforms, Harris’s story has resonated with people from diverse walks of life, making her particularly relatable to younger generations.
As a new wave of voters joins us at the polls this November, a common quote comes to my mind: ‘The past shows what you’ve done –the future will show what you learned.’ Have we, as a nation, learned from our past?
Adriana Hernández Correspondent CONTRIBUTED
Naturalized citizens and permanent residents find ways to participate in the political process
Every four years, many North Carolinians take to the polls to vote for their preferred candidates and policies, yet permanent residents and naturalized citizens alike have found barriers to political participation.
Shatha Boaj, a third-year studying political science, said she experienced financial and time constraints on her path to citizenship and ability to vote.
“I was only able to take the citizenship test when I was 18, and that’s when I jumped right into college,” Boaj said. “With that, there isn’t really much of a chance to pay almost $1,000 just for the application and go through an entire long application process.”
Citizenship application processing currently takes around 15 and a half months.
Boaj said election periods can be stressful for non-citizen residents in the United States, as policy reform can change their residency status or eligibility for permanent residency or citizenship.
“If you don’t really have citizenship, and with elections changing every couple of years and policy reform changing, you don’t know what’s going to happen to your immigration status,” Boaj said. “I think it is a fear for a lot of people, and they don’t have the privilege to just go on about the day.”
Valeria Vizcaino, a refugee community organizer for Church World Service Durham, said naturalized citizens’ backgrounds can influence their trust in the political process and voting.
“Refugees come from a specific background; it’s anyone fleeing persecution, violence or war from their home country,” Vizcaino said. “So a lot of the times, and it’s not just exclusive to refugees, but a lot of times, immigrants come from countries where they have been persecuted for their beliefs, or where it may not feel safe or private to vote, so they may not feel like they can vote, even if they’re naturalized here
SHAUGHNESSY IV
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lenges that I faced at such an early age, I’ve lived a life more full than most 40-yearold people who live in this country, which I’m grateful for,” Shaughnessy said. “I get to bridge the gap between the older generation and the younger generation in a meaningful way, because I understand what the older generation says and I know what the
they may fear the process.”
Jasmina Nogo, an immigration attorney at the North Carolina Justice Center, said bills regarding immigration reform have led to different kinds of political involvement from immigrant communities.
Nogo mentioned community engagement regarding House Bill 10, which would require local law enforcement to determine detained persons’ citizenship status.
“It’s a bill that has brought a lot of people to show up en masse with their communities, regardless of status, and demand this bill does not become law in the state of North Carolina,” Nogo said.
Boaj said community activism allowed her to express her political opinions before achieving citizenship both on and off campus, but said she’s worried about the implications of grassroots political involvement.
“I’ve been really passionate about advocacy and activism,” Boaj said. “But the problem is, people can go to protest and get arrested, which isn’t the best thing, but nothing would happen to them. I wasn’t so keen on that because I don’t know what could have happened if I got arrested. I would have to include that on my naturalization application.”
With North Carolina now requiring photo identification at the polls, Nogo said there has been added confusion regarding eligibility for naturalized citizens.
“We saw in the primaries in the spring that there was confusion about whether or not IDs were required,” Nogo said. “Then there was also confusion around if someone doesn’t have an ID, if they’re still eligible to vote.”
As receiving a valid photo ID can be a lengthy process, Vizcaino said the new requirement is a suppressive tactic against voters.
“It affects immigrant communities because it can often make them fearful of getting out to vote,” Vizcaino said. “There is also not enough information being given to immigrant communities in their languages letting them know, ‘Hey, the voter ID laws have changed.’”
As driver’s licenses are the main form of photo identification in NC, a primary challenge voiced by community members was access to driver’s education materials in different languages.
“We have been able to work on a bill, HB 1013, this session to introduce French, Swahili, Pashto and Dari into the North
Carolina and TMV language and written test because that is an issue that community members were voicing as a barrier,” Vizcaino said.
Nogo expressed further concern about a proposed amendment to remove the inclusion of the term “naturalized citizens” in the voter eligibility portion of North Carolina’s constitution.
“A lot of people aren’t certain about whether or the kind of qualifications for someone to register to vote have changed, which they have not,” Nogo said. “But all of the press around this has really confused a lot of people who are eligible to vote, and in our eyes, the new language is problematic, not because it changes the law because it doesn’t, but because it changes language in the state constitution that is inclusive.”
Nogo said these amendments stem from legislators’ fears of noncitizens voting in NC elections.
“The ballot initiative is built on false conspiracy theories that undocumented immigrants in the US are committing voter fraud and registering to vote and trying to steal elections,” Nogo said.
Boaj said immigrant community concerns, such as xenophobia, are often overlooked in election cycles for other issues.
“People kind of just forget that the people that are here, still, really even though they immigrated here and they’re living here, are still not welcome here in social means, or even in political means,” Boaj said.
Despite xenophobia, Boaj said her background has given her the motivation to become more involved in the political process, and that citizenship has given her the means to make a difference.
“It was a barrier, but it also empowered me just to want to go out and actually create change,” Boaj said. “To help those people that aren’t as fortunate as me to take the interview.”
younger generation does.”
Husmann said Shaughnessy faces an uphill battle regarding his age compared to the rest of the candidates.
“Being taken seriously when you’re young is always tough,” Husmann said. “When you’re 25, most other people you know are in their twenties or late teens and those people aren’t flush with cash to donate to political candidates. I’ve seen the amount of effort he’s put in. He will legitimately fight for what he thinks is best for Raleigh and what
his constituents tell him what they need.”
Almost acknowledging his underdog status, Shaughnessy’s campaign slogan reads as an ode to overcoming the odds: “Let’s Make It Happen.”
While Shaughnessy believes Raleigh will be in capable hands regardless of the mayoral outcome, he highlighted his independence from conventional politics as separating him from the other candidates.
“We have the mechanism to switch things around in four years, and we can survive
four years with someone who’s maybe mediocre or not as good, depending on what race they’re running in,” Shaughnessy said. “I love all the other candidates because they’re truly trying to do something good for Raleigh. I’m the only mayoral candidate that has their cell phone number on their website. I have no political overlords. I can be really honest. I like ‘public servant’ so much more than ‘politician.’”
Pierce Bruns Correspondent
GRAPHIC BY HARRISON BURSTION
Harris’ Journey to the White House
Rebecca Hernández lead Copy Editor
Vice President Kamala Harris is making history not only as the first woman of color to receive the Democratic nomination for president but also for her overnight popularity in the polls.
On Aug. 22, Harris officially accepted the Democratic nomination.The long awaited nomination makes Harris the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to lead a major party’s presidential ticket.
The Harris campaign took off seemingly overnight. It all started on July 21, 2024, when current President Joseph R. Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race.
Harris quickly became the new Democratic nominee and raised more than $100 million a day after President Biden’s with-
drawal. President Biden endorsed Vice President Harris as the Democratic nominee, with many notable politicians following suit.
Since July, approval ratings for the Democratic ticket have risen in virtually every battleground state in the country. A New York Times/Siena College poll found Harris’ ratings jumped from 36% to 46% between February and July.
Even among independents, Harris’ favorability has also increased by double digits, from 28% in June to 41% in August.
In early August, Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. The Harris-Walz campaign has been traveling nonstop across the country, specifically in the Midwest.
A poll from the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found Walz is viewed more favorably than the
Republican nominee for vice president, J.D. Vance. 27% of U.S. adults say Vance is favorable while 44% find him unfavorable, compared to 36% who think Walz is favorable and 25% who find him unfavorable— and more Democrats are supportive of Walz (62%) than Republicans of Vance (57%).
Shortly after, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) was held on Aug. 19 in Chicago. The DNC saw some of its highest viewership ratings in years with more than 108 million combined views on broadcast and streaming, and more than 350 million views on social media.
“With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past,” Harris said at the DNC in Chicago.
With less than three weeks to go, the race for president seems to have just gotten started. Polls reveal that Democrats, in
particular, have a renewed hope ahead of November.
“She’s going to work to support and lead pragmatic common sense policies that are going to directly relate to improving the lives of Americans,” said Harris’ Senior Campaign Policy Adviser Brian Nelson.
This upcoming election is slated to have some of the highest rates of voter turnout in United States history. A national poll released by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at Harvard Kennedy School indicates that among 18-to-29-year-olds nationwide, more than half of young Americans say they will definitely be voting in the Presidential election this Fall.
With Harris on the ballot, the presidential election is set to make history in more ways than one.
Though the election is creeping up on us, this race is far from over. In fact, it has just gotten started.
NC state complicit in Voter Suppression opinion
Emma Hamrick STAFF WRITER
If you haven’t already heard, let me break the news to you: NC State has classes on Election Day. Many, if not all, public schools in North Carolina do as well. For NC State students registered in Wake County, this isn’t a problem since Talley Student Union is one of the early voting sites for Wake County voters. But for other students, this may end up being a big issue.
NC State has students from every county in North Carolina, as well as over 8,000 outof-state students. Many students won’t be able to make it home to vote in the election because classes are in session on Election Day.
Requiring classes on Election Day is just the beginning of it all. States all over the country have implemented different laws over the past few years making it increasingly difficult for students to vote – laws regarding absentee voting, proof-of-citizenship, ID, residency, voter registration and more.
I know that in my economics class in high school, all we learned regarding the election is that we need to vote for whoever’s policies we agree with. But once you can actually vote it is much more complicated than that. You have to register, get the proper identification materials, figure out your voting location and keep up with candidates through the primaries and all of the debates. Elections don’t start in the fall, they get into motion long before that.
Logistically it’s even worse, I live almost two hours away from NC State and because
of my extracurriculars, I can’t make time to go back home for early voting in person. I also won’t be able to vote on Election Day itself since I have two classes with mandatory attendance.
So what do I do? Ask my parents … but they don’t know either. They’ve always voted in person. Ok, I guess I should Google it then … Looks like the answer is to order an absentee ballot. Simple enough, right? Well for me, yes. For others, not so much. At this point, I have gone through the long process of paperwork just to order the absentee ballot. Now after doing all of that I am still waiting to receive it in the mail. On top of that I still haven’t even gotten to the point of filling out the ballot or mailing it back. Lots of students are incredibly busy and have other things they are prioritizing. We are in the midst of midterm season and I’m sure that many students are spending their free time studying, rather than researching how to actually take part in one of their constitutional rights. There are so many deadlines to adhere to and paperwork to fill out, it can be super stressful. You have to register to vote by a certain date, apply for an absentee ballot by another date while understanding early voting is within a range of dates, then Election Day itself is only one day. The only reason I know about those dates is because my fiction writing professor, Carter Sickels, was very adamant about getting us out to the polls.
Students aren’t the only demographic that have obstacles in between them and their vote. Women and people of color are two of
the groups that are being hit the hardest. I mentioned earlier that there have been laws implemented over the past few years that barred students from voting, but there are even more that are discouraging the participation of marginalized communities.
The 2013 Supreme Court case of Shelby County v. Holder got rid of all federal jurisdiction over voting laws, allowing all states to control their own voting laws. Within days of the Shelby County case multiple states, particularly Texas and North Carolina, enacted laws that made it increasingly difficult for people of color to vote.
North Carolina is no stranger to these voter restrictions as this will be the first General Election in which the photo ID requirement will be enforced. Voters are required to bring a photo ID with them, or if they are voting by mail, they must include a copy of their ID in the envelope. There is also the fact that mailed ballots must be received by Election Day or else they will not be counted, which is a change from the prior three-day grace period.
There are millions of people in the United States who don’t have easy access to documents that would prove their citizenship and even more who do not have documentation with a government-issued photo ID. Women are more likely than men to have invalid documentation in part due to the issue of legal names. When a woman gets married or divorced they are likely to change their name and there are a number of women who haven’t changed their legal name on citizenship documents.
Women are also more likely to lack the
proper photo identification. In 2012 there were 3,575,713 women registered to vote in N.C. Out of those 3,575,713 women, 202,714 did not have the proper identification required to vote. Out of all of the people in N.C. who lacked the proper identification to vote, 63.62% of them were women.
People of color are also less likely to have the proper identification. These sorts of laws have existed since the inception of our nation, where only rich white men were the only group of people allowed to vote. In the past, literacy tests, poll taxes or other measures were meant to disproportionately affect people of color and marginalized communities, but because of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, it’s not as upfront anymore.
Around 25% of Black voters, 16% of Latino voters and 15% of low-income American voters lack proper photo identification. People born at home or on reservations may also not be able to obtain proper paperwork to get a photo ID.
As one of the swing states that could make or break the 2024 Election, North Carolina needs all of its eligible voters to hit the polls. This is why it’s crazy to me that they are putting so many laws and regulations in place that are barring huge groups of people from voting. I am not going to make comments about why North Carolina is doing so, at least not in this article, but I’m sure we can all make our assumptions.
They are trying to silence our voices. Don’t let them. Go vote.
Can you think of any laws that give the government power over a male body?
Donald Trump appointed extremist Supreme Court justices to take away your reproductive freedom. As president, Kamala Harris will protect your right to control your own future. Neither can we. make a plan to vote
