Voter Suppression in North Carolina
Voter suppression in North Carolina has been an issue for decades. Although the state has a lot of diversity, that diversity isn’t always celebrated. Minorities in the state, especially women and people of color, are affected the most due to a lack of accessible voting.
Voter suppression comes in many forms in North Carolina. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law shows us that the most common forms of voter suppression in North Carolina are voter ID laws, lack of early voting, gerrymandering, voter purging, and difficult registration requirements. North Carolinians need to have an ID to vote, and the qualifications for acceptable IDs are very specific. This often impacts minorities who can’t obtain those kinds of IDs. It also goes hand in hand with difficult voter registration requirements, which often discourage many. The number of days that early voting is available at polls has also lessened in the state, making it difficult for those who have work to participate. Although gerrymandering is common across the country, it’s heavily prevalent in North Carolina’s electoral districts, and this affects election outcomes. This combined with voter purging the flawed process of cleaning up voter rolls, causes many disruptions in the election process in North Carolina. These various forms of suppression affect an increasing number of minorities, and the issue needs to be looked into.
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice shows the impact of voter suppression on women, people of color, and other minorities in North Carolina. Another problem with ID requirements for voting is that transgender individuals often have issues with appearance versus their ID photo. There are also plenty of barriers for women of color in the state, such as language and income level. If people can’t understand English and/or don’t have the money for transportation, they’re less likely to vote. It’s clear that voter suppression in North Carolina disproportionately affects women, people of color, and minorities.
So, what can be done about all of this? It’s not something that can be solved instantly, but through collective effort, there are many steps people, organizations, and policymakers can take. Advocacy of the problem is the first step. Individuals and organizations can raise awareness for the voter suppression that takes place in North Carolina. Bringing attention to this topic will fuel more effort from others. This is also a way to educate people about voting and the issues that come along with it. The more educated people are, the more they can help. Legal action and legislative reform are the next steps. Supporting legal organizations, lawyers, and policymakers who are determined to take a stand against voter ID requirements, gerrymandering, and other forms of voter suppression is what will get things done. This will lead to the step of increasing accessibility. Through providing translators, increasing the length of early voting, and much more, minorities can get a chance to take part in our democracy properly.
North Carolina suffers heavily from voter suppression, which goes against everything that democracy is. Staying informed through blogs, news outlets, social media, and organizations such as Rideshare2Vote is critical. This allows people to take action and support the fight against voter suppression. Everyone deserves the right to take part in our country’s democracy, including the minorities in North Carolina.
by Ektha Ravishankar
