FAIRolina UNC

A helpful overview of the attempt to delegitimize mail-in ballots and some other voting rights issues this election cycle.

Election 2020: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) Weeks out from the 2020 presidential election, John Oliver takes a look at various efforts to destabilize the vote, how to ensure your ballot is properly cou...

This is unacceptable! This represents an unfair trend with mail-in ballots in many states where ballots can be rejected rejected because of small mistakes.

Luckily North Carolina notifies people when their ballot is rejected and allows them to redo them, but this process can be complicated.

North Carolina Is Already Rejecting Black Voters’ Mail-In Ballots More Often Than White Voters’ In every election, a small percentage of mail-in ballots get rejected. But this election is likely to have a whole lot of mail-in ballots. And in an election wh…

Apply to FAIRolina today!!

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An attempt to both raise a false alarm about mail-in voting and to trivialize fairness in our elections. North Carolinians do not need anyone to tell us how to vote, especially if that advice is so blatantly anti-democratic.

Trump Urges Supporters To Go To Polls Even After Voting By Mail Voting twice is illegal, but President Trump suggested supporters should visit polling stations to "make sure" their mailed ballots count. An elections official "strongly discourages" doing that.

Another blatant episode of voter intimidation. Voter fraud is VANISHINGLY rare. This narrative is intended to devalue votes and to set the stage for a rejection of election results. Not to mention that this move would probably be illegal.

Trump says he will send law enforcement, US attorneys to polls in November to prevent fraud “Nobody’s ever heard of anything like this,” he said.

This is a brazen admission by the president of what we have known for some time. Trump’s opposition to funding for the post office is a direct attempt to block votes in November. This is voter suppression at best and a reckless disregard for both democratic norms and the dangers posed by in-person voting during a pandemic at worst.

FAIRolina rejects any attempt to block mail-in voting during a global pandemic.

https://www.npr.org/2020/08/13/902109991/trump-admits-to-opposing-funding-for-postal-service-to-block-more-voting-by-mail?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=nprnews&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&fbclid=IwAR3gHhkBtlK0WLXG6Rg_Nw3hg_l-yPVYuidUTMXZHt7PhpCpTYunB10zvo

Trump Admits He Opposes Funding For Postal Service To Block More Voting By Mail President Trump told Fox Business Network that he's against additional funding and election assistance for the U.S. Postal Service in order to sabotage efforts to expand mail-in voting.

This is a big win for voting rights in this country!

There is still more work to be done on this issue, however, in Iowa, here in North Carolina, and across the nation.

https://www.facebook.com/10643211755/posts/10159688347321756/?d=n

Governor Acts To Restore Voting Rights To Iowans With Felony Convictions Iowa was the only state to automatically restrict voting rights to anyone with a felony conviction. Wednesday, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an order to restore those rights to most people.

Donald Trump’s recent comments about delaying the election are utterly unacceptable. It is important to note that the president does NOT have the legal authority to change the date of a national election with executive power, but the very suggestion of such a move is intended to sow confusion, fear and doubt about the legitimacy of the coming vote. The president intends to make voters believe that voting by mail is dangerous, and that expanding voting by mail options would encourage widespread fraud. There is no evidence for this position.

In short, these comments add up to voter suppression.

FAIRolina wholeheartedly rejects any attempt to disrupt our nation’s cherished electoral traditions. We encourage students everywhere to watch this situation closely and to vocally reject this strain of authoritarian rhetoric.

https://www.facebook.com/29259828486/posts/10158996774438487/?d=n

Trump Can’t Postpone the Election—But He’s Trying to Destroy Its Legitimacy The president today suggested postponing the November balloting, a move he lacks the legal authority to carry out.

FAIRolina supports efforts to increase access to voting for ex-felons. Lebron James is calling attention to an issue that persists across the country of voting restrictions for those convicted of a felony, which prevent millions of formerly incarcerated people from voting long after their sentence has been served or, in many cases, permanently. These restrictions have an explicit racial dimension in that Black people and people of color are disproportionately likely to be incarcerated throughout the nation. In Florida and other states, some felons are forced to pay fines associated with their sentences before they regain their right to vote, which effectively reinstates a form of the poll tax for many Americans.

In North Carolina, ex-felons may vote upon the completion of their sentences, but this includes any probation time or other period of supervision. This policy can prevent people from voting for several years after they have left prison, effectively barring citizens who live, work and pay taxes in North Carolina from exercising their right to vote.

LeBron James' voting rights group to help Florida's ex-felons who owe fines and fees register to vote An organization started by NBA superstar LeBron James and other Black athletes and entertainers announced Friday that it will help Floridians with prior felony convictions register to vote in the November election.

Today the Trump Administration announced an executive memorandum that would exclude undocumented immigrants from being counted as states redistrict next year. This order represents a flagrant disregard for democratic tradition and Constitutional norms. Article I Section 2 of the Constitution mandates that congressional representation reflect "the Whole number of free Persons," which, since 1790, has included those who cannot vote or are not U.S. citizens.

It is important to remember that those living in a particular district, including children, disenfranchised felons, undocumented families and others who cannot or do not vote, are still directly affected by decisions made by their representatives. This move would also diminish the voices of communities with large immigrant populations by under-representing their size, effectively disenfranchising other eligible voters.

This order would likely affect congressional representation for many years to come. The order is highly likely to be challenged in court as a Constitutional violation, but we must remain vigilant as moves like this are made to make our democratic systems less representative.

With No Final Say, Trump Wants To Change Who Counts For Dividing Up Congress' Seats The president is calling for unauthorized immigrants to be excluded from census numbers used to divide seats in Congress. The Constitution says the count must include every person living in the U.S.

Attention UNC students interested in protecting democracy in North Carolina!

We are happy to announce that FAIRolina will be making the transition to become a permanent student organization at UNC this fall.

Over the next few weeks we will be releasing updates about our mission for democratic reform and how to get involved. Stay tuned!