The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 29, 2024
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Opinions in two North Carolina cases offer both good democracy news and bad. A sweeping voter suppression bill was temporarily blocked, but a gerrymandered state senate map diluting Black voting power was upheld.
Sweeping voter suppression bill HB 747 shortens the number of days when mail-in ballots can be received, limits notifications to a voter before removal from the voter rolls, allows poll observers to take pictures of voters in the polling place, and loosens restrictions on who can “challenge” another voter’s ballot, among many voter suppression tactics. Democracy Docket reports there are three lawsuits challenging different provisions of the bill.
A provision targeting voters who register and vote on election day, used more by mobile, housing-insecure voters of color and younger voters, does not give those voters the chance to “cure” a registration or ballot issue, resulting in their ballots being thrown out. The temporary injunction stops rejection of those ballots during the state’s March 5th Presidential primary.
In another federal court, democracy groups challenged the North Carolina legislature’s latest GOP state senate redistricting map as diluting Black voting power in five northeast counties. Gov. Roy Cooper had vetoed the map, but was overridden. The judge found there wasn’t sufficient evidence that Black voters met the criteria for a majority-minority district.
We have more on the cases and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – North Carolina Legislature Overrides Governor’s Vetoes of Voter Suppression and State Election Board Bills
North Carolina Newsline – Federal judge blocks part of Republicans’ new election law
Democracy Docket – Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Provision of North Carolina Voter Suppression Law
U.S. District Court – NC Middle Division – VOTO LATINO v. HIRSCH
North Carolina Newsline – Federal judge denies Black voters’ request to throw out new Senate districts in northeastern NC
Democracy Docket – Federal Judge Declines to Block New North Carolina Senate Map for 2024 Elections
U.S. District Court – Eastern District – Pierce v. North Carolina Board of Elections
Groups Taking Action:
Voto Latino, Down Home North Carolina, North Carolina Black Alliance, Democracy North Carolina, North Carolina Voter, ACLU North Carolina
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#Democracy #DemocracyNews #VoterSuppression #HB747 #FairMaps #VotingRights #VotingRightsAct #NorthCarolinaPolitics