Defeat Voter Suppression: D-Day is Here Email your contacts. Facebook your friends.
by Peter Grear 10/24/2014Educate, organize and mobilize — Again, if you’re not already registered you cannot vote in this year’s General Election. If you follow the news, you already know that the National and North Carolina Republican Parties are engaged in the most massive voter suppression campaign in 100 years. They’ve won several court victories that allow them to block the votes of millions of citizens nationwide. Today, we’re playing and losing the game of catch-up in our efforts to defeat voter suppression. To avoid losing this election cycle we need a massive voter turn-out and we need all of our readers to be a part of it. In addition to voting and volunteering to help a party or candidate over the next two weeks please email all of your contacts and do a Facebook post on your timeline asking all of your friend to do as you have done.
Just so that you’ll know some of what they’ve done so far, they have relocated polling sites that may have been convenient to targeted voters, they’ve restricted voter registration, and they’ve published incorrect voting information. The Republicans have eliminated same day registration, straight ticket voting and out of precinct voting. Although no voter ID is required this election cycle, the other barriers are significant and if you fail to respond they’ll continue with more and more restrictions on your right to vote.
Act now by going online to your Board of Elections website and verifying your registration, polling place, Early Voting sites and schedules. Plan to join the NAACP’s Moral March to the Polls during Early Voting. As I’ve been writing about for months, Black voters are facing the worse voter suppression laws in more than 100 years.
As I noted last week, one of the most effective strategies that Black voters have is Early Voting, which starts October 23 and ends November 1. Voting early will significantly increase voter participation for Black voters. This is true for several reasons: (1). If you encounter a problem voting early, you may have time to fix the problem and vote. (2). There could be bad weather on November 4. (3). You could be sick on November 4. (4). The more early voters the fewer voters to work with on Election Day. (5). You can help other voters that need to vote. These are just a few of the many reasons that we need you to vote early.
I continue to express the value of volunteering as a way that you can fight voter suppression and help others to vote this election. There are numerous ways that you can volunteer: (1). Phone banks. (2). Canvassing (knocking on doors and asking people to vote). (3). Helping with rides to the polls. (4). Pass out materials at the polls during early voting and on November 4. (5). Make a financial contribution to a candidate or a party. There are other ways to help that are not noted here. Please call a candidate or a party and volunteer.
In a related article this week, written by James Hankins, he outlines his suggestions for defeating voter suppression. We’re also carrying a public service ad supplied by the NAACP that outlines the specifics of Early Voting in New Hanover County.
GENERAL ELECTION SCHEDULE
Friday, October 10, 2014
Voter registration deadline
Thursday, October 23, 2014
One-Stop early voting begins
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Last day to request absentee ballots by mail
Saturday, November 1, 2014 (1:00 p.m.)
One-Stop early voting ends
Tuesday, November 4, 2014 (5:00 p.m.)
Last day to return an Absentee Ballot by Mail
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
General Election Day
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Peter Grear, Esq. writes for Greater Diversity News with a primary focus on voter suppression. To join the campaign to defeat voter suppression please “Like” and follow us at www.facebook.com/votersuppression, “Share” our articles, and your ideas and comments on Facebook or at our website www.GreaterDiversity.com. Also, to promote the campaign to defeat voter suppression, please ask all of your Facebook “Friends” to follow the above-referenced recommendations. Additionally, please follow us on Twitter at @yourrighttovote: (https://twitter.com/yourrighttovote)
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