The Vote, a four-hour, two-part documentary series, tells the dramatic story of the epic — and surprisingly unfamiliar — crusade waged by American women for the right to vote. Focusing primarily on the movement’s militant and momentous final decade, the film charts American women’s determined march to the ballot box, and illuminates the myriad social, political and cultural obstacles that stood in their path. The Vote delves deeply into the animating controversies that divided the nation in the early 20th century –– gender, race, state’s rights, and political power –– and offers an absorbing lesson in the delicate, often fractious dynamics of social change.

Democracy is a partisan issue
under new NC laws

By Ron Katz, Asheville Citizen-Times, July 9, 2023

I have been an unaffiliated voter for many years. It is important to me because I worked for and volunteered with nonprofits since I moved to Asheville in 1996. Nonprofits, at least those designated as 501(c)(3), are required to be nonpartisan by law.

However, it appears that supporters of one political party are questioning an issue that should not be partisan — democracy. Some are election deniers, many say there is rampant voter fraud. Others are questioning the objectivity and professionalism of the various boards of elections as well as poll workers. Equally as egregious, in my opinion, they are offering solutions to “problems” that don’t exist that will make casting a ballot more difficult for voters and for running elections for those same boards of elections.

There has been little evidence of significant voter fraud let alone rampant fraud, but the laws and initiatives that are being promoted include the following:

Photo IDs have been or are in the process of being implemented in many states including North Carolina. There is little evidence that photo IDs will do anything to address fraud. Rather, this requirement will make it more difficult for those marginalized to be able to vote and will slow down the lines for those casting ballots.
One bill (SB 747) would require absentee ballots be received by the close of business on Election Day. For many years, North Carolina has required absentee ballots be postmarked no later than Election Day and received by the Friday after. Why make such a change? “Canvass” by each Board, which takes place 10 days after Election Day, is when the final and official tally of votes is completed. Requiring that absentee ballots be received on Election Day is unnecessary.
That same bill would require voters to complete a provisional ballot for same-day registration during early voting. For those with limited time, same-day registration is a great benefit, but this action will discourage voters. In 2020, over 110,000 people in N.C. took advantage of same-day registration. Provisional ballots take longer to complete, are not guaranteed to be counted, take a lot more work by each county board to review, and are likely to dissuade a significant number of people to cast a ballot.

These are only some of the negative changes in place or being proposed that would hamper voters. What is sometimes not considered is how those same laws make the work of the county and state Boards of Elections more difficult. Here are some of the ramifications of what the N.C. General Assembly has implemented or is considering:
The costs of implementing photo ID will require additional funding from the state. Yet, both the N.C. House and Senate are not coming close to covering the funding levels the N.C. State Board of Elections has requested.
N.C. is not a member of ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center). This organization has been shown to do good work in cross referencing voters who have moved and shared that information with boards of elections in member states. This is an important step in determining who is eligible to vote. Yet many states, without any evidence, are characterizing ERIC as being partisan and either not considering joining or leaving.
Another bill (SB 749) does much to disrupt the process of choosing members for county and state boards of elections in N.C. The governor is involved in that decision-making process, but this bill would take away all input by the governor. In addition, the bill would change the number of members on each board, with the likely result of deadlocked boards which, in turn, would jeopardize the decisions of boards and impact voting.

The reason for these bills can only be seen as an effort to take the power to make decisions about voting away from the voters and the governor and give more control to the N.C. General Assembly. Implementation of such bills will actually erode the trust in how elections are run in N.C.

Voting is at the heart of a democracy. It currently works well in this country and the state, but those who offer misinformation about its safety and accuracy must not be given the opportunity to change the rules. Unfortunately, the N.C. Senate has passed both these bills, but you can still tell your N.C. House member to oppose these bills.

Ron Katz is a retired nonprofit professional and administrator for the website “WNC Social Justice Advocacy Guide.” He also edits a nonpartisan Voting & Democracy Rights e-newsletter for WNC among other volunteer activities.

US Supreme Court Rejects
“Independent State Legislature” Theory
in Moore v. Harper Elections Case

Press Release: June 27, 2023

WASHINGTON — Today, the US Supreme Court affirmed the role of state court judicial review in a major victory for checks and balances and the constitutional rights of voters. The Court rejected a state legislature’s exclusive and independent authority over federal elections and was resolute in not expanding that authority through the dangerous “Independent State Legislature” theory.

The case, Moore v. Harper, involved the “independent state legislature theory” (ISLT), which suggested that state courts did not have the power to review actions of state legislatures relating to federal elections. The case that brought the issue to the US Supreme Court — Harper v. Hall — raised concerns around the extreme partisan gerrymandering of North Carolina’s congressional map. The case was overturned by the North Carolina Supreme Court on April 28, 2023, but the question of ISLT at the US Supreme Court remained. In today’s decision, the Court rejected the ISLT.

“Every year, voters face attacks on their rights from state legislatures seeking more power for politicians over the will of the people,” said Virginia Kase Solomón, CEO of the League of Women Voters of the United States. “Today’s decision is a major victory for our democracy because it rejects the dangerous idea that state legislatures have free rein to determine the rules for elections in their states. We applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to reject the ISLT and affirm the voice of voters.”

“For 233 years and counting, no court has ever found that state election laws are unconstrained by state constitutional requirements, because this is a fantasy that is antithetical to our system of government,” said Fair Elections Center’s litigation director Jon Sherman. “Finally, the US Supreme Court has buried this extremist theory once and for all.”

Last year, the League of Women Voters of the United States and League chapters from all 50 states and the District of Columbia filed an amicus brief in Moore v. Harper, focusing on the massive implications of the ISLT for elections across the country, voters and election workers, and American democracy itself. The League is represented by Fair Elections Center and O’Melveny & Myers LLP.

Voting Rights are worth fighting for!

Call U.S. Senators Thom Tillis, 202-224-6342, and Ted Budd, 202-224-3154. Calling is easy and fast. But why call just once? If you feel voting rights are worth fighting for, then call them every day! Tell them what you want them to do. Remember, they can’t know unless you tell them. Every call is documented. The more times you call, the more you’ll be heard.