TODAY BEGINS ONE STOP
EARLY VOTING IN N.C.
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
From now until 3 p.m. Saturday, November 5th, One Stop - Early Voting/Same -Day Registration is in force in across North Carolina. Voters may cast an in-person ballot for the November 8th midterm elections for a 17-day period at any designated One Stop Early Voting site in their county.
If you are 18 or older, a U.S. citizen, a resident of North Carolina and the county you’re voting in at least 30 days prior to Election Day Nov. 8th, but are not registered to vote, you can both get registered and vote at the same time during this period as well. Just bring either a utility bill or government document with your current name and address printed on it for proof of residency in order to register.
A North Carolina driver’s license, a government issued photo ID with your name and address, or a current college photo ID with proof of on-campus residency will also be sufficient to same-day register to vote.
If you do not have a photo ID, be prepared to provide your date of birth and social security number to same-day register.
Please keep in mind that the above stated requirements are only required if you are same-day registering to vote. They are not required if you are already properly registered.
Per a recent state Supreme Court ruling, anyone not currently serving time in prison or jail for a felony conviction is eligible to register to vote. That includes those on probation, parole or post-release supervision.
For those registered voters who would like to absentee by mail, your completed and signed ballot request form must be received by your county board of elections by 5 p.m. on Nov. 1 - one week before Nov. 8th Election Day.
You can pick up an absentee ballot request form from your county board of elections office, or request one by mail.
Or you can go to https://votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home.
You will need two witness signatures for your absentee ballot. But if you have one notarized signature, that’s acceptable.
The witnesses or notary has to be at least 18 years old, and not a candidate for office.
Absentee ballots must be mailed-in or dropped off in-person at a county elections office or early voting site by Nov. 5th. You cannot drop your absentee ballot off at a polling place on Election Day, November 8th.
Also remember that you can always vote in-person, just as long as you have not submitted a mail-in absentee ballot.
Beyond local races, North Carolina voters will be casting ballots for a U.S. Senate seat, 14 U.S. Congressional seats, and 2 seats on the NC Supreme Court.
Check your county for the location of satellite One Stop - Early Voting/Same-Day Registration sites near you, as well as their opening and closing times.
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EXCLUSIVE
NC NAACP, FORWARD JUSTICE
PETITIONS US JUSTICE DEPT
TO PROBE SHERIFF GREENE
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
The state’s civil rights leaders want to ensure that even if Columbus County Sheriff Jody Greene is permanently removed from office next week, only to be re-elected on November 8th, that the alleged racist lawman will have the U.S. Justice Department breathing down his neck every step of the way.
In a October 15th letter exclusively obtained by this reporter, the NC NAACP, the Columbus County NAACP, and the Durham-based social justice law firm Forward Justice has asked U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, and Associate Attorney General Kristen Clarke “…to urgently request that you commit the full powers of the U.S. Department of Justice to further justice, accountability, transparency, and lasting change for our community in the wake of willful misconduct and maladministration in office by the Sheriff of Columbus County, North Carolina.”
The letter specifically requests the Dept. of Justice to:
1. Expedite and ensure the full independence of a federal civil rights investigation into the
statements made and discriminatory actions taken by Sheriff Jody Greene;
2. Deploy DOJ election monitors to Columbus County during the upcoming November 2022 General Election, including during the 17 days of early voting preceding election day;2 and
3. Hold a listening session with community members in Columbus County to determine other civil rights violations and community needs that the Department of Justice has the authority to provide a path to redress.
The NC NAACP/Forward Justice letter then recounts how WECT-TV recently broadcast recordings of Sheriff Greene from February 2019 when, after winning a close and contentious election over Black incumbent Lewis Hatcher, an angry Greene called then Sheriff’s Dept. Capt. Jason Soles and complained that Black employees of the department worked against his election, and how he would fire every one of them.
“Greene can be heard disparaging Black employees, making
explicit and racist comments such as “F**k them Black bastards...So it’s just time to clean them out,” and directly states “[e]very Black that I know, you need to fire him...” After the release of these recordings, Jody Greene did not deny being the voice in the recording in his post on the official “Columbus County Sheriff’s County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. Subsequent to the audio recording, at least one Black employee of the Columbus County Sheriff’s Dept. has been terminated.”
The letter the warns of “immediate voter intimidation concerns.”
“While Mr. Jody Greene has since been temporarily suspended from the Sheriff’s Office via judicial granting of a petition for removal by District Attorney Jon David, we write to you today with extreme concern for the potential increase in voter intimidation issues in Columbus County and across the state. Despite his gross misconduct while in Office, Jody Greene remains on the ballot as he has not withdrawn himself as a candidate for the 2022 sheriff election.”
The NC NAACP/Forward Justice letter then maintains that Columbus County has been the home to “…known recruitment measures, trainings, and organizing have taken place” of the notorious Oath Keepers, a white supremacist group best known for their alleged participation in the Jan. 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“In November 2020, we documented highly troubling reports of potential voter intimidation regarding members of the Oath Keepers in Columbus County who were identified at polling sites and were engaging in poll monitoring in an intimidating manner,” The NC NAACP/Forward Justice continued. “As the Department of Justice is aware, the Oath Keepers is recognized as an anti-government white militia group located throughout the United States. The mere presence of the Oath Keepers, with known affiliations to white supremacy, serves to intimidate voters, particularly voters of color.”
The letter then makes a startling assertion.
“In November 2020, we documented highly troubling reports of potential voter intimidation regarding members of the Oath Keepers in Columbus County who were identified at polling sites and were engaging in poll monitoring in an intimidating manner. As the Department of Justice is aware, the Oath Keepers is recognized as an anti-government white militia group located throughout the United States. The mere presence of the Oath Keepers, with known affiliations to white supremacy, serves to intimidate voters, particularly voters of color.”
“According to the founder of Oath Keepers, former Ron Paul staffer Stewart Rhodes, the purpose of the organization “is to be ready in case of a civil disturbance or natural disaster to assist law enforcement and first responders if requested.”10 Due to Greene’s known relationship with the Oath Keepers, coupled with his most recent racist and prejudiced publicly released statements, community members have lost all trust that the Sheriff’s Office - the office that Greene led up until October 4, 2022 - will adequately provide safety measures against any threats from this group or others with intentions of intimidating Black voters.”
The letter then contends that Sheriff Greene’s racist statements “…exposed what the Columbus County community has lived with for decades: a longstanding history of racial discrimination by law enforcement and government officials that must be addressed by official independent intervention and oversight. The acts committed by Jody Greene constitute corruption while in office and should not be taken lightly by the Dept. of Justice.”
Finally, the NC NAACP/Forward Justice letter asks the DOJ to “…monitor polling sites in Columbus County for the 2022 General Elections, including all 17 days of Early Voting and on Election Day.”
“By providing monitors to Columbus County polling sites, the Department of Justice will not only protect the vote in the county, but will show its strong stance against voter intimidation in North Carolina. This action by the Department of Justice is necessary to address the crisis of trust and the legitimate calls for accountability and change in Columbus County, as well as to identify and help rectify systemic deficiencies which contribute to misconduct and enable it to persist.”
Sheriff Greene is scheduled to go before a Columbus County Superior Court judge on Monday, October 24th, where it will be decided whether he should be permanently removed from office for his racist remarks. He is on the November 8th ballot for reelection.
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