Early Voting per Bro. Barber

[Professor]

Statement by the Rev. Dr. William Barber II, President of the North Carolina NAACP, and Bob Hall, Executive Director of Democracy North Carolina

Durham - We are disturbed by the criticism we have seen leveled against the Cumberland Board of Elections for opening additional Early Voting sites on Sunday, October 19. The surge of interest in this election requires state officials to respond with extra effort to maintain a voting system that is accessible, fair and secure.

Today, we are encouraging all 100 counties to review their plans for Early Voting for the remainder of this period and, where the large turnout indicates it is appropriate, counties should open more sites for more days and hours. In particular, weekend and evening voting opportunities should be expanded.

Since January, our organizations have been urging counties to expand Early Voting opportunities - more Early Voting sites, open more days, for more hours. Many county elections boards took positive action for the primary, including several that opened sites on Sundays, or near campuses, or in evenings. As a result, a record 450,000 voters used Early Voting during the primary, including nearly 50,000 who used Same-Day Registration because they missed the regular deadline to register or update their registration.

North Carolina’s unique combination of Early Voting with Same-Day Registration is a proven way to help more people vote, regardless of their race, income, or political persuasion. Our organizations, with a large coalition, led the fight to win Same-Day Registration as a tool of empowerment, and we’re delighted to see so many voters respond when given the chance.

In any election, public officials must act to ensure the safety and fairness of the voting system. We applaud the decision of the state Attorney General to penalize Women’s Voices, Women Vote, a national voter registration group whose telephone messages confused voters and threatened the integrity of our state’s elections. We also applaud the unanimous, bipartisan decision of the Cumberland County Board of Elections to add capacity for October 19, after experiencing an overwhelming turnout the previous week. Sunday voting had been unanimously approved months earlier, and a large coalition of pastors and nonpartisan organizations, including our own, had already helped educate thousands of voters about Early Voting opportunities and encouraged voting at the three sites scheduled to open that day in Fayetteville . Long lines seemed inevitable, but not necessary. Adding two more sites was a proper decision, given the level of community organization and the enthusiasm of voters.

We are disappointed that the Guilford County Board of Elections voted yesterday against adding more Early Voting capacity, despite the record number of people standing in lines to vote in Greensboro and other sites. State law and state funds are in place to encourage the use of Early Voting. When election officials experience first-hand the large turnout and demand from their citizens to “let us vote,” they must take action that fulfills their responsibility to operate an accessible, fair and secure voting system. ###