Sept. 3, 2024
Presenters Tuesday represented mostly community and nonprofit groups active in encouraging voter turnout. Many stand in the nonpartisan space, and must be careful in their comments.
But they agreed to a stipulation that the agenda of the day was to examine low voter turnout in Mecklenburg from a different angle.
Not so much what strategies to use to entice registered voters to the polls. Not their experiences with door-to-door canvassing vs. phonebanking vs. postcard parties vs. ads etc. Of course, all that came up.
Instead: What are the issues, the reasons, why residents are so poorly engaged in the electoral process.
The answers offered in the video below are neither implausible nor easy to fix.
Mecklenburg has among the highest percentage of minorities in local elective offices of anywhere in the state. Is it true that minority voters, having boosted these people into office, see little in what their representatives are doing that improves their lives or the health and wellbeing of their neighborhoods?
Are canvassers for political parties who focus on policies and ordinances and planning aware that many adults can’t focus on those things when there are food bills to pay and child care and utilitiies and keeping Mama healthy?
Do real people see change happening, or have they grown to expect just more of the same?
The Forum on Sept. 10 will move on to another topic. But any publishable comments on Tuesday’s discussion that are received here by e-mail will be added below.
Amelia Stinson-Wesley recommended the North Carolina Council of Churches’ “Faithful Voter Reflection Guide.” both for personal and group use in exploring “the heart of faith and civic duty, exploring how our beliefs shape the choices we make at the ballot box.”
More on the guide is on the Council’s website.
A 12-page PDF file of the Reflection Guide may be downloaded here.
Forum facilitator Carlenia Ivory-Cantey recommended use of a “Public Officials Directory, a multi-page fold-out listing names and contact info for officials in city, county, state and federal goverments.
Printed copies may be available at the Mexklenburg Board of Elections, A PDF file is available here.