voting « The Progressive Pulse

The Winston-Salem Journal has published an excellent column by good government advocate Bob Hall of Democracy North Carolina that is worth sharing far and wide in the coming days:

“Maybe you’re heard the rumor that you can’t vote if you have an outstanding traffic ticket. Or you must re-register to vote if you skip an election. Or your ballot will be rejected if you mark the straight-party option but don’t mark your choice for president first.

These claims are all false.

As an independent watchdog group, Democracy North Carolina tracks all sorts of misinformation. Voters should learn about the candidates, but it’s also valuable to know your basic voting rights so you won’t be intimidated or discouraged by the next rumor that seems a little scary.

Here’s a list of 20 tips that we’ve verified with the State Board of Elections:”

Read all 20 by clicking here.

New Common Cause video touts early voting and voter protection efforts

October 22, 2012 at 10:06 amCategory:Uncategorized

by Rob Schofield

Focus shifts to early voting as candidates trade barbs (video)

October 4, 2012 at 9:18 amCategory:Uncategorized

by Clayton Henkel

“Direct”…”defensive”…”authoritative”…and “scripted” are just some of the words being used to describe President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney following the first presidential debate.

And while political pundits are talking about who won and who lost Wednesday’s war of words, don’t bother asking Gary Bartlett for his take.

The Executive Director for the N.C. State Board of Elections is spending every waking moment to make sure this year’s elections go smoothly. That means testing voting equipment, training precinct officials, processing an estimated 750,000 new voter registration applications, and getting early voting up and running by October 18th.

He anticipates voter turnout this presidential election year between 68% and 70%.

Gary Bartlett joins us this weekend on News & Views with Chris Fitzsimon to talk about the SBOE’s behind-the-scenes work, including investigating claims of dead people who are still registered to vote in North Carolina.

For a preview of Bartlett’s radio interview, click below:

Early voting sites now online

September 12, 2012 at 2:02 pmCategory:Uncategorized

by Rob Schofield

Good government guru Bob Hall at Democracy NC reports that early voting sites for all of North Carolina’s 100 counties are now posted on State Board of Elections site.

You can visit the Board at www.ncsbe.gov or go directly to http://www.ncsbe.gov/GetDocument.aspx?id=2562 to view the sites. You can also view them on a map by going to https://batchgeo.com/map/NCEarlyVoteSites.

Early voting (aka “one-stop absentee” voting) for the November 6 election starts October 18.

Flexing our muscles

May 7, 2012 at 11:14 amCategory:Uncategorized

by Kevin Rogers

Think about a healthy society the same way you think about a healthy body – vigorous exercise builds strong bodies and stronger minds. While we must individually keep physically healthy, as a society it’s good to flex our civic muscles once in awhile, and I’m not talking about protesting.

Standing in a slow-moving line, in the muggy heat, is not something many people enjoy, even if the reward is an ice-cream cone or some free concert tickets, but thousands of Wake County voters waited patiently, and gregariously, in line for well over an hour to cast their primary ballots on Saturday morning. My wife and I were among the throngs in Raleigh, and I must admit that it was a lovely line in which to be waiting. Everyone was in a great mood and actually excited to be voting.

I’ll say that again: excited to be voting.

Expert provides tips and debunks myths on voting rules in NC

New Common Cause video touts early voting and voter protection efforts

Focus shifts to early voting as candidates trade barbs (video)

Early voting sites now online

Flexing our muscles