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What Is Partisan Gerrymandering?

Partisan gerrymandering is the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to give one political party an advantage.

Every ten years, after the U.S. census, states redraw congressional and legislative district maps to reflect population changes.1 Ideally, this process—called redistricting—ensures fair representation. But when the party in power controls map-drawing, they can deliberately design districts to tilt elections in their favor. This practice is known as partisan gerrymandering. Partisan gerrymandering has been around for centuries, but it undermines the principle that voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around.

How It Works

Two common tactics define partisan gerrymandering:

• Packing: Concentrating the opposing party’s voters into a few districts, ensuring they win overwhelmingly there but lose influence elsewhere.

• Cracking: Splitting the opposing party’s voters across many districts, diluting their power so they can’t form a majority.

For example, if a state has an even split between Party A and Party B, Party A might redraw maps so that Party B wins only a small fraction of seats despite having nearly half the voters.

Several years ago, The Washington Post ran an article that used the visual below, adapted from a Facebook post later attributed to Stephen Nass. While this is an extremely simplified example, it is also quite useful for demonstrating some basic redistricting terms. You can read the full article here.

In this example, we have 50 people--20 red, 30 blue--and we need to form 5 equal districts. To make the example easier, these people have sorted themselves quite neatly into red and blue groupings. Historically, this rarely happens, although recently it has become more realistic with the rural / urban divide between the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively.

Example 1, called “perfect representation” above, is often called “proportional representation” in real life examples.

Example 2 introduces the terms “compact” and “unfair,” which I explain below, and it results in a clean sweep for blue. This is a partisan gerrymander in favor of blue.

Example 3 is also a partisan gerrymander, but this time for red. It uses both “cracking” and “packing” techniques to create two overwhelmingly blue districts (think Charlotte or Raleigh) and three majority red districts (most everywhere else in North Carolina).

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Now for the terms--compact simply means a tightly drawn district. A circle would be a perfectly compact district with all edges equidistant from the center. A square would also be a very compact district. Meanwhile, a long, narrow, twisty district is not at all compact.

“Fair” is more complicated. Some people believe proportional representation for an entire state, or other voting group (city, county, etc.), is fair. However, proportional representation can be achieved through an equal split of districts that are highly gerrymandered and all but guaranteed to result in a Republican and Democratic win. See Example 1 above. While this may result in an equal split of Republican and Democratic representatives, it still leaves the voters with no meaningful choice in the general election.

Others, including Carolina Democracy, believe maximizing competitive districts is the better definition of fair. However, I’ll freely acknowledge the drawback here is that during a wave election, it’s conceivable that a 50-50 state, with all perfectly competitive districts, could result in a single party taking all of the seats. Certainly not ideal, but staggered terms for representatives can help lessen the impact of wave elections (think U.S. Senate or state courts).

The reality is that drawing perfectly proportional or perfectly competitive districts is nearly impossible given the random distribution of where people live and fluctuating preferences between political parties. Some urban districts will be Democratic, and some rural districts Republican, no matter how you draw them in North Carolina.

However, 2022 showed us that we can have both proportional representation and at least some competitive districts. Under the maps used in 2022, North Carolina sent 7 Republicans and 7 Democrats to the U.S. House. Many districts were foregone conclusions by the general election, but several were at least somewhat competitive.

By 2024, North Carolina reverted to a severely gerrymandered map, resulting in a 10-4 Republican/Democratic delegation. In 2026, with an even further gerrymandered map, Republicans hope to push the North Carolina delegation to 11-3 Republican/Democratic.2 Only one district is even remotely close to competitive, and the other 13 are all but decided.

Why It Matters

Partisan gerrymandering distorts democracy in several ways:

• Unfair representation: Legislatures may not reflect the actual political makeup of the population.

• Reduced accountability: Safe districts discourage competition, allowing incumbents to ignore voter concerns.

• Polarization: Politicians in gerrymandered districts often cater to extreme bases rather than moderates, deepening divides.

Legal and Political Debate

The U.S. Supreme Court has explicitly rejected partisan gerrymandering claims under the U.S. Constitution. Next week we will review that case which originated out of North Carolina. Then we will look at the recent North Carolina Supreme Court decisions first barring, and then flipping to allow, partisan gerrymandering under the North Carolina Constitution. Stay tuned!

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p.s. — Don’t forget to support our rockstar Democratic judicial candidates via our 2026 NC Judicial Slate!

Now that we’re through the primary, here’s the full 2026 NC Judicial Slate:

• Supreme Court:

  • Justice Anita Earls

• Court of Appeals:

  • Judge John Arrowood

  • Judge Toby Hampson

  • Judge Christine Walczyk

I also want to recognize the efforts of James Whalen who also ran for the N.C. Court of Appeals in the primary. Mr. Whalen ran an impressive campaign which he and his team can be proud of, and I look forward to seeing him on the ballot in the future.

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As a refresher, North Carolina will have four state-wide judicial races in 2026: one seat for the North Carolina Supreme Court and three seats for the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Republicans currently hold a majority on both of these courts. We have to play the long game, but we can restore Democratic majorities on both courts.

For the Supreme Court, it started with re-electing Justice Allison Riggs in 2024. In 2026, we must re-elect Justice Anita Earls. In 2028, we must flip at least two of the three Republican-held seats that will be on the ballot. If we flip all three, that takes Democrats to a 5-2 majority.

For the North Carolina Court of Appeals, we need to hold all three Democratic-held seats in 2026. In 2028, we need to flip all five seats that will be on the ballot. It’s a tall order, but we can do it. That would get us to a 8-7 Democratic majority on the Court of Appeals.

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Again, please support our rockstar Democratic judicial candidates: 2026 NC Judicial Slate.

p.s. — if you’re in the Triad and want to come out to support Justice Earls, I’ll be co-hosting a fundraising reception for her on April 25th at 4:30 with some awesome fellow hosts. It promises to be a great event — RSVP Here!

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Since there are judicial candidates on the primary ballot at every level except for the North Carolina Supreme Court--and the Supreme Court seat will be on the ballot in November--I thought we could start with a quick primer on the structure of the North Carolina state courts.

The North Carolina judicial branch is a creature of our state constitution, much like the federal judiciary is a creature of the U.S. Constitution. Article IV of the N.C. Constitution governs the state courts, terms of office, qualifications, and so forth. It’s a pretty short read if you’re curious: https://www.ncleg.gov/Laws/Constitution/Article4.

The N.C. Constitution creates four different courts within the General Court of Justice, the official name for the North Carolina unified court system which came to exist in 1966. I’ll spare you the details today, but before the unified court system, North Carolina had a patchwork of local court systems that frequently created inconsistent rulings and countless headaches for lawyers and the public alike. Some called it the “crazy quilt” era. Decades of activism eventually led to a constitutional amendment and our current court system.

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Today, the state constitution creates four courts, two appellate courts and two trial courts. These include the District Court and the Superior Court, both trial courts, as well as the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, both appellate courts.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the state’s highest court and is the final court for all disputes arising under state law. In some limited instances, cases may be appealed from the state Supreme Court to the U.S. Supreme Court, but these usually involve federal matters or the U.S. Constitution.

The state Supreme Court has seven justices -- a Chief Justice and six associate justices. All justices are elected to eight-year terms. They hear and decide cases together which have been appealed from lower courts, usually the Court of Appeals.

The Supreme Court does not have a jury. Instead, it considers only questions of law. In other words, it resolves disputes over the correct interpretation and application of the law. It does not make factual decisions, and instead generally relies on the factual decisions from the lower courts.

Court of Appeals

The Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court that hears the vast majority of appeals from the trial courts. As an appellate court, it generally relies on the factual decisions from the trial courts and focuses on the correct interpretation and application of the law.

The Court of Appeals has 15 judges who sit in panels of 3 judges, randomly assigned for each case, to hear and decide those cases. One of the judges also serves as the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, mostly for administrative purposes, and that position is appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Judges on the Court of Appeals are elected to eight-year terms.

Very few cases are accepted for consideration at the Supreme Court, so as a practical matter, the Court of Appeals is also usually the last court to hear and decide legal questions related to state law matters in North Carolina.

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Superior Court

Superior Courts are trial courts which handle cases from the filing of a complaint or indictment through the entry of a judgment and sentencing. This includes overseeing the discovery process in early litigation, deciding certain legal issues early in a case to narrow the issues for a jury, empaneling a jury to hear the case to determine the facts, and then as necessary, applying those facts to reach a judgment.

The Superior Court hears cases involving felony crimes, civil cases involving $25,000 or more, and appeals from the District Court. Superior Court judges are elected to eight-year terms.

District Court

Like the Superior Courts, District Courts handle certain cases from start to finish, including jury trials to determine the facts of a case. District Courts handle misdemeanor cases and civil cases involving between $10,000 - $25,000.

District Courts handle most family law matters, including divorce and child custody proceedings. District Court judges are elected to four-year terms.

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Reminder!

In North Carolina, there are five names to watch for state-wide judicial races:

• Supreme Court:

  • Justice Anita Earls

• Court of Appeals:

  • Judge John Arrowood

  • Judge Toby Hampson

  • Open Seat -- Primary Candidates: Christine Walczyk and James Whalen

Until next week’s primary is complete, we have included Justice Earls and Judges Arrowood and Hampson in our 2026 NC Judicial Slate. Next week, we’ll add the winner of the primary contest for the open seat to the slate. Please consider supporting these deserving candidates. Every contribution helps, no matter the size!

Kidding aside, this year is undeniably off to a rough start. In challenging times like these, I look to the Serenity Prayer:

Standing alone, our impact is limited. But together, we can make a difference. One of the most impactful places we can affect change is our courts.

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At the federal level, our judges enjoy lifetime appointments. Even the most ardent conservatives are pushing back against the excesses coming from the current administration. And when vacancies need to be filled, the U.S. Senate must approve the administration’s nominees.

In North Carolina, we have a competitive Senate seat on the ballot. Former Governor and long-time Attorney General Roy Cooper is the presumptive Democratic nominee. If you want to have an impact on the future of our federal courts, then support Roy Cooper.

Even if Democrats do not flip the U.S. Senate, a Democratic Senator from North Carolina will have the power to moderate judicial nominees and block the nomination of extremists to the federal courts in North Carolina for years to come. If Democrats do flip the U.S. Senate, they will have enormous influence over the future of all federal courts.

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At the state level, we elect our judges in North Carolina. And this year, we have four state-wide judicial races on the ballot. Our absolute top priority must be re-electing N.C. Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls. Please support Justice Earls’ re-election campaign here. Protecting our democracy, its institutions, and the rule of law requires flipping the N.C. Supreme Court back to a Democratic majority.

Flipping our state supreme court is a long game. We needed to keep Justice Riggs in 2024. Next, we need to re-elect Justice Earls in 2026. Finally, we need to flip 2 of the 3 seats that will be up for election in 2028. Especially in the current political climate, this is absolutely achievable. But it requires investment and resources today. Again, please support Justice Earls’ re-election campaign.

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We also have several state-wide judicial races on the ballots as well. Please support the 2026 NC Judicial Slate of North Carolina Democratic judicial candidates! No matter the amount, every donation helps protect our courts.

BLUF: December 31st is a critical deadline. Please support the 2026 NC Judicial Slate before midnight tomorrow. Every contribution helps, no matter the size!

Let’s start with a word on fundraising clickbait. Unless the candidate is Kristi Noem, don’t believe catastrophic warnings like “Puppies will die if we don’t meet our Friday the 13th fundraising goal by midnight tonight!”

Make no mistake—every day is critical in a campaign. I don’t fault candidates using whatever reasonable tactics work. Given the chance, I’d probably use a Friday the 13th fake deadline to catch attention if I was running, too (although not the puppy part, to be clear). But let’s walk through the deadlines that actually matter.

The only no-kidding, catastrophic deadline is the candidate filing deadline. Miss that and you have no campaign. That’s already passed in North Carolina. But even then, candidates can file a petition to run as an unaffiliated candidate, and that deadline is April 6, 2026. If you want to learn more, click here.

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For fundraising, here are the four critical dates remaining in the 2026 election cycle in North Carolina:

• December 31, 2025

• February 14, 2026

• June 30, 2026

• October 17, 2026

These four dates are the end of the reporting periods. Contributions must be made by midnight to be on the next public disclosure, usually 10 days later. A contribution made at 11:00 pm on June 30th will be publicly reported on July 10th. However, a contribution made two hours later will not be reported until October 27th.

These four dates are critical for showing the strength and health of a campaign. The earlier a campaign raises money, the better. Not only do campaigns need money to spend money (credit is not common for campaigns), but early support drives more support.

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Certain groups and big donors spend a lot of time reviewing these financial disclosure reports. Generally, they’re looking at (1) the amount raised, (2) the amount spent, (3) the number of donors, and (4) any notable donors supporting the campaign.

The amount raised is a proxy for the seriousness of a campaign. It’s not perfect, but as a general rule, serious candidates with decent odds in the election raise more money.

The amount spent goes more to the health of the campaign. Is the campaign raising substantially more than it’s spending, or is money going out the door as quickly as it’s coming in? In other words, what is the campaign’s “burn rate”?

What really matters is Cash on Hand = Amount Raised - Amount Spent. The more Cash on Hand, the more available to pay staff, organize field efforts, send mail, run digital ads, and if the campaign is big enough, buy TV ad time.

The number of contributions matters, too. Popular campaigns tend to raise a large volume of low-dollar contributions. Campaigns are a unique kind of popularity contest, and few metrics serve as a better proxy for popularity than number of supporters. This is why every contribution matters, regardless of size!

Finally, savvy politicos look at who is supporting campaigns. Here’s an easy example on the Republican side. In a GOP primary, a MAGA campaign will almost certainly notice if a prominent Never-Trumper like Bill Kristol shows up on the financial disclosures of an opponent. That might even be the subject of a mailer or ad!

So what’s the takeaway? Every contribution matters—whether $5 or $5,000—and contributing early has an amplifying effect. $5 today is a heck of a lot more valuable than $5 next October.

With that explanation, I hope you’ll consider supporting the 2026 NC Judicial Slate in any amount before midnight, December 31st!

p.s. -- for those who want more, here’s an example from 2020. This financial information feeds the machine that decides which candidates get more financial support as the cycle progresses. Early success lays the foundation for what can turn into exponential growth later.

Here are some disclosure numbers from the 2020 North Carolina state senate campaign that came the closest to flipping a Republican-held seat. These show the report close-out date, the cumulative amount raised by that date, and the number of unique contributions for that respective reporting period.

• 12/31/2019: $32,725.74 (88)

• 2/15/2020: $41,733.94 (106)

• 6/30/2020: $150,507.92 (1,262)

• 10/17/2020: $1,624,878.20 (25,579)

• 12/31/2020: $2,317,087.78 (21,459)

This candidate didn’t raise much in 2019, and didn’t exactly kick off 2020 with an epic bang either. However, they got to work in the spring (ironic given COVID, but evidently WFH worked), and then saw tremendous growth in the final run-up to the election. A decent chunk of the total raised was support from the state party near the end, but that money would have never come if the earlier money wasn’t raised.

Bottom line — early money is critical for a successful campaign, and the “quarterly” fundraising close-out dates really do matter.

BLUF: Please support this slate of rockstar candidates: 2026 NC Judicial Slate.

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There are great candidates up and down the ballot, but as promised, we’re focusing on the North Carolina courts for 2026. North Carolina will have four state-wide judicial races in 2026. There is one seat on the ballot for the North Carolina Supreme Court, and there are three seats on the ballot for the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

As of now, Republicans hold a majority on both of these courts. On the Supreme Court, Republicans hold a 5-2 majority. On the Court of Appeals, Republicans hold a 12-3 majority. It’s a long game, but here’s the plan for restoring Democratic majorities on both courts.

For the Supreme Court, it started with re-electing Justice Allison Riggs in 2024. We’ll look back at that election--and the insane post-election legal drama--in the coming months. In 2026, we must re-elect Justice Anita Earls. And in 2028, we must flip at least two of the three Republican-held seats that will be on the ballot. If we flip all three, that takes Democrats to a 5-2 majority.

For the North Carolina Court of Appeals, we need to hold all three Democratic-held seats in 2026. That means re-electing Judges John Arrowood and Toby Hampson and holding the open seat currently held by Democrat Allegra Collins. Then, in 2028, we need to flip all five seats that will be on the ballot. That gets us to a 8-7 Democratic majority on the Court of Appeals.

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Make no mistake, it’s a tall order. But we can do it. Justice Riggs won a nail-biter of an election in the same year President Trump won the state by 3 points. There is a path to victory with smart campaigns focused on the right issues. But they’ll also need all the support we can muster.

So, who are we going to see on the 2026 North Carolina ballot? In short, these are the five names to watch:

• Supreme Court:

  • Justice Anita Earls (incumbent)

• Court of Appeals:

  • Judge John Arrowood (incumbent)

  • Judge Toby Hampson (incumbent)

  • Primary Candidates (Open Seat): Christine Walczyk and James Whalen

Which means here’s your 2026 NC Judicial Slate! We’ll add the winner of the primary between Christine Walczyk and James Whalen to the slate in March.

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Here are some more details on the races. The Supreme Court seat will see two candidates head to the general election: Justice Anita Earls, Democrat, running for re-election; and Representative Sarah Stevens, Republican, looking to make the jump from the state house to the Supreme Court.

For the Court of Appeals, there will be three seats on the ballot. Judges John Arrowood and Toby Hampson are up for re-election and have no primary challengers. Judge Arrowood will face the winner of a Republican primary, and Judge Hampson will face Republican George Bell.

The third seat on the ballot is currently held by Democrat Allegra Collins who is not running for re-election. Democrats Christine Walczyk and James Whalen will head to a primary, and the winner will face Republican Craig Collins.

At least for now, we have made the decision to support the three incumbent, state-wide judicial candidates running for re-election through the 2026 NC Judicial Slate as they do not face a primary. And of course, we will add the winner of the Democratic primary for the third Court of Appeals seat to the slate in March.

Again, please support our rockstar Democratic judicial candidates: 2026 NC Judicial Slate.

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Bottom Line Up Front: Please support Justice Anita Earls in her re-election campaign. I explain why below, but if you want to just trust me, here’s a donation link. Donate like democracy depends on it, because, well, it does!

Now onward with our content. When I first started the Carolina Democracy effort, I wasn’t quite sure what it would look like. But I knew I wanted two things: (1) to help down-ballot candidates get their message out; and (2) to connect those candidates with this community.

That led to starting the podcast in 2022. I had a great time, interviewed dozens of candidates, and overall it was a tremendous success. I continued the podcast in 2023 and 2024—thank you all for the continued support at every turn—but the political landscape of North Carolina was shifting under us.

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As you may recall, in early 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court did something amazing. In a 4-3 decision, they found extreme partisan gerrymandering violates the state constitution. Later that year, they reaffirmed that ruling. At least for a while, 2022 was shaping up as an excellent year.

Unfortunately, that didn’t hold. With rare exception, the party that wins the White House usually struggles the following midterms. North Carolina was no different. We had some successes, no doubt. We ended up with an even 7-7 split in our Congressional delegation after all.

But we lost the U.S. Senate race, narrowly prevented a Republican supermajority in the state house, and ended up with a Republican supermajority in the state senate. In reality, some of those N.C. House Democrats were unreliable in tough votes, so it was a functional Republican supermajority anyways. Still worse, we lost every single state-wide judicial race, including two critical seats on the N.C. Supreme Court held by Democrats.

The Supreme Court flipped from a 4-3 Democratic majority to a 5-2 Republican majority. It did not take long for the new Chief Justice to begin dramatic changes across our state courts. That’s a topic for another day.

One of the new majority’s first tasks was to break with long-standing precedent by reopening an already decided and settled case. They reversed the two gerrymandering decisions from the previous year. Then, the General Assembly quickly adopted even more gerrymandered maps than they were already using, giving Republicans a stark advantage for years to come.

I’ll save gerrymandering for a future post, but for now, just know that the Supreme Court’s unprecedented reversal on extreme partisan gerrymandering fundamentally altered the political landscape for at least the rest of this decade.

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I’m going to shoot straight with you. Democrats can prevent a supermajority in the State House under the new maps. Democrats may also break the supermajority in the State Senate in a good year. My 2020 BFF even admitted as much. But Democrats have essentially zero chance of taking a majority in either chamber under current maps any time in the foreseeable future.

For our legislative elections to be anything other than a foregone conclusion, we need to elect judges who recognize that our state constitution does not permit gerrymandering. Given Democratic and Republican positions on gerrymandering, this means electing Democratic judges. It should not be a partisan issue, but it is.

There is a path to flipping a 5-2 Republican majority to a 4-3 Democratic majority on the N.C. Supreme Court. It started with re-electing Justice Allison Riggs in 2024. In 2026, we must re-elect Justice Anita Earls. And in 2028, we must flip two of the three Supreme Court seats on the ballot.

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For 2026, I’m shifting our focus to providing information and insights about our courts and legal decisions impacting democracy. I’m also converting to a newsletter format. And of course, I’ll be helping our state-wide Democratic judicial candidates raise the money they need to win. I also look forward to launching our 2026 Judicial Slate as soon as candidate filing closes!

While social media accounts may not suggest it (sorry, I’m no Jeff Jackson), there are tens of thousands of you in our Carolina Democracy community. Together, we can make a difference in this fight for more democratic state courts in North Carolina.

In the meantime, the end of the year is quickly approaching, and we know that Justice Earls will need to raise millions of dollars to hold her seat. Even a few bucks today goes a long way to helping her in November 2026. Please support Justice Earls’s 2026 re-election campaign by contributing here!

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Justice Riggs sent out the email below yesterday. As part of the Carolina Democracy community, you know how much we care about the judicial races.

She asked all of us to “take a minute to show your support for our campaign and remind your friends and family to cast their ballot!” Easy enough! We’re forwarding her email and posting the pictures below on our social media.

Will you do the same? We’ll even make it easier for you—just hit the “Share” button below.

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Just 5 days left until Election Day 2024, we’ve got this. If you haven’t voted or know someone who hasn’t voted, there are links below to help. There’s also a reminder about our fundraising efforts to help our state-wide judicial candidates.

Remember, the most effective voter turnout strategy is encouraging your friends and family to vote! Text, call, email, whatever it takes!

Best,

JD

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---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Justice Allison Riggs
Date: Wed, Oct 30, 2024 at 4:45 PM
Subject: Something nice to share
To: JD Wooten <jd@carolinademocracy.com>

Hi JD,

By now you’ve early voted, but over half of registered North Carolinians still have not made their voices heard in this election! 

Today, I’m asking you to share an early voting reminder with your network on social media. Please take a minute to show your support for our campaign and remind your friends and family to cast their ballot!

If you’re not on social media, please forward this email or text your friends and remind them to cast their ballot for judges and justices who share our values!

With gratitude,

Justice Allison Riggs 

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P.S - here are several links to help you prepare for the General Election in North Carolina this year:

• General NC Voting Information

• NC Voter ID Information

• NC Vote by Mail Information

• NC In-Person Early Voting Information

P.P.S. - it's not too late to support the pro-democracy, state-wide North Carolina judicial candidates via ActBlue.

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Over 2.8 million of North Carolina’s 7.8 million registered voters have voted. That’s great, but the work isn’t over. With just one week left, I thought I’d share some thoughts on two of the major “debates” that will rage right up until Election Day when it comes to voter turnout.

First, a lot of people like to group voters as “persuasion” voters or “turnout” voters. A persuasion voter is someone who will likely vote, but is undecided on their preferred candidate. A turnout voter is someone who may or may not vote on their own, but will definitely vote for a particular candidate if they do vote. There’s some benefit to these distinctions for campaigns, but most of us are not making decisions on target audiences for campaign mailers, digital ads, phone banking, canvasing, and the like.

Instead, consider everyone a persuasion voter. We either need to persuade them to vote, who to support, or perhaps both. Regardless, we need to persuade them their vote matters and persuade them which candidate will make their life better.

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Second, for messages, let’s look to the Harris-Trump race. Of all the messages you could land on, I suggest some combination of the following three, depending on your audience: 1) Harris is better for the economy, 2) Trump is a fascist, and/or 3) abortion rights. Don’t believe me? Check out the Harris team’s final major ad:

It doesn’t touch on abortion rights, but that’s been a major issue for countless voters ever since the Dobbs decision overturned the half-century of precedent of Roe and took away a fundamental freedom for the first time in the nation’s history.

Try watching the ad on mute. What do you see? “Project 2025.” “Deny coverage.” “Cut Social Security and Medicare.” “Tax Cuts for Billionaires.” “Lower Income, Higher Costs.” “You pay the price.” Now go back and listen to the voice over. They add in “while the middle class pays the price with lower income and higher costs.” I’d say they hit the economic message hard.

How about fascism? I shy away from that word in conversations not because it’s inaccurate, but because a lot of people aren’t sure what it means or their eyes gloss over like they’re back in a social studies classroom. Instead, focus on the outcomes like this ad does. “It’s all about getting unchecked power while you pay the price.” “Donald Trump: more Unhinged, Unstable, and Unchecked.” Don’t waste time explaining how fascism uses the levers of government for personal gain while suppressing individual liberties, opposition, and dissent. Instead keep it tied to the economic message.

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There are countless other arguments, and maybe you find that something else works for a particular person or group. That’s great too. Whatever you do, just remember — the single most effective voter turnout strategy is encouragement from family and friends to go vote. And that’s on each and every one of us!

Oh, and of course here are several links to help you prepare for the General Election in North Carolina this year:

• Check Your NC Voter Registration

• General NC Voting Information

• NC Voter ID Information

• NC Vote by Mail Information

• NC In-Person Early Voting Information

And don’t forget, you can still help these pro-democracy, state-wide North Carolina judicial candidates via ActBlue. These candidates need our support right up until Election Day!

The slate, pictured above from left to right, includes all four state-wide Democratic judicial candidates:

• Judge Carolyn Thompson, North Carolina Court of Appeals; 

• Justice Allison Riggs, North Carolina Supreme Court; 

• Ed Eldred, North Carolina Court of Appeals; and

• Martin Moore, North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Support the 2024 NC Judicial Slate Here!

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In our latest episode, we're joined by State Senator Sydney Batch of Wake County to talk about the 2024 elections and which races to watch in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy!

Listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts

To learn more about Sen. Batch and her campaign, visit: sydneybatch.com.

And with just TWO WEEKS LEFT until Election Day, these pro-democracy, state-wide judicial candidates need every last bit of support to connect with voters! Please consider adding your support here.

Pictured above from left to right:

• Judge Carolyn Thompson, North Carolina Court of Appeals; 

• Justice Allison Riggs, North Carolina Supreme Court; 

• Ed Eldred, North Carolina Court of Appeals; and

• Martin Moore, North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Support the 2024 NC Judicial Slate Here!

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Contact Us: jd@carolinademocracy.com

Follow Us:

• Facebook: @CarolinaDemocracy

• Instagram: @carolinademocracy

Please consider supporting the 2024 NC Judicial Slate: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ncjudicial

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North Carolina had an impressive first day of in-person early voting with 353,166 people showing up to cast their ballot. Combined with mail-in ballots received, 428,299 North Carolinians had voted by the end of the first day of early voting. That's a decent start, but we have a long way to go. We've got a lot of links below to help you find general information about voting, and if you or someone you know is impacted by Helene, more information can be found here: www.ncsbe.gov/Helene.

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And because my brother Mike wouldn’t approve of an email without any pictures, here's proof of practicing what I preach. The Guilford County Courthouse location was busy but quick on Thursday with exceptionally friendly poll workers and volunteers.

Here are some important deadlines:

• October 29: Absentee Ballot Request Deadline

• November 2, 3pm: In-Person Early Voting Ends

• November 5, 6:30am - 7:30pm: Election Day

And here are several links to help you prepare for the General Election in North Carolina this year:

• Check Your NC Voter Registration

• General NC Voting Information

• NC Voter ID Information

• NC Vote by Mail Information

• NC In-Person Early Voting Information

Finally, we’ve still got a fundraising effort to help the pro-democracy, state-wide North Carolina judicial candidates via ActBlue. These candidates need our support right up until Election Day!

The slate, pictured above from left to right, includes all four state-wide Democratic judicial candidates:

• Judge Carolyn Thompson, North Carolina Court of Appeals; 

• Justice Allison Riggs, North Carolina Supreme Court; 

• Ed Eldred, North Carolina Court of Appeals; and

• Martin Moore, North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Support the 2024 NC Judicial Slate Here!

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In our latest episode, we're joined by Woodson Bradley, candidate for North Carolina Senate District 42 in Mecklenburg County. Our conversation ranged from her personal and professional experiences, to her prolific volunteerism and her positions on issues critical to North Carolinians, and of course what she's going to do to fight for you in Raleigh. Hope you enjoy!

Listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:

To learn more about Woodson and her campaign, visit: www.woodsonbradley.com.

And with just THREE WEEKS LEFT until Election Day, we’re still trying to help the pro-democracy, state-wide North Carolina judicial candidates raise the last bit of funds they need to connect with voters. Please consider supporting these candidates.

Pictured above from left to right:

• Judge Carolyn Thompson, North Carolina Court of Appeals; 

• Justice Allison Riggs, North Carolina Supreme Court; 

• Ed Eldred, North Carolina Court of Appeals; and

• Martin Moore, North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Support the 2024 NC Judicial Slate Here!

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Contact Us: jd@carolinademocracy.com

Follow Us:

• Facebook: @CarolinaDemocracy

• Instagram: @carolinademocracy

Please consider supporting the 2024 NC Judicial Slate: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ncjudicial

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In our latest episode, we catch up on important election updates and deadlines, news from around North Carolina impacting democracy and the elections, and wrap up with some reminders about how you can still pitch in to help individual races and ways to get involved in the home stretch. Just 29 days left until the election!

Listen Now!

Here are the most important deadlines:

• October 11: Voter Registration Deadline

• October 17: In-Person Early Voting Begins

• October 29: Absentee Ballot Request Deadline

• November 2, 3pm: In-Person Early Voting Ends

• November 5, 6:30am - 7:30pm: Election Day

And here are several links to help you prepare for the General Election in North Carolina this year:

• Check Your NC Voter Registration

• General NC Voting Information

• NC Voter ID Information

• NC Vote by Mail Information

• NC In-Person Early Voting Information

And of course, we’ve still got a fundraising effort to help the pro-democracy, state-wide North Carolina judicial candidates via ActBlue. These candidates need our support right up until Election Day!

The slate, pictured above from left to right, includes all four state-wide Democratic judicial candidates:

• Judge Carolyn Thompson, North Carolina Court of Appeals; 

• Justice Allison Riggs, North Carolina Supreme Court; 

• Ed Eldred, North Carolina Court of Appeals; and

• Martin Moore, North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Support the 2024 NC Judicial Slate Here!

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• Justice Allison Riggs for NC Supreme Court

• Judge Carolyn Thompson for NC Court of Appeals

• Ed Eldred for the NC Court of Appeals

• Martin Moore for NC Court of Appeals

• Shelane Etchison, Independent Candidate

NC State Board of Elections:

• Check Your NC Voter Registration

• General NC Voting Information

• NC Voter ID Information

• NC Vote by Mail Information

• NC In-Person Early Voting Information

Contact Us: jd@carolinademocracy.com

Follow Us:

• Facebook: @CarolinaDemocracy

• Instagram: @carolinademocracy

Please consider supporting the 2024 NC Judicial Slate: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ncjudicial

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In our latest episode, we're joined by Safiyah Jackson, candidate for North Carolina House District 37 in southern Wake County. We had a great chat about her career in early childhood development and how she plans to bring her wide range of educational and professional experiences to the General Assembly to benefit all North Carolinians. Hope you enjoy!

Listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts:

To learn more about Safiyah and her campaign, visit: www.teamjacksonfornc.com.

And don’t forget the judges! We’ve still got a fundraising effort to help the pro-democracy, state-wide North Carolina judicial candidates via ActBlue. These candidates need our support TODAY!

The slate, pictured above from left to right, includes all four state-wide Democratic judicial candidates:

• Judge Carolyn Thompson, North Carolina Court of Appeals; 

• Justice Allison Riggs, North Carolina Supreme Court; 

• Ed Eldred, North Carolina Court of Appeals; and

• Martin Moore, North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Support the 2024 NC Judicial Slate Here!

Share

Contact Us: jd@carolinademocracy.com

Follow Us:

• Facebook: @CarolinaDemocracy

• Instagram: @carolinademocracy

Please consider supporting the 2024 NC Judicial Slate: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ncjudicial

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With just 6 weeks to go until Election Day, we thought what better time to remind everyone of the importance of our judicial races, starting at the very top?! If Democrats want to re-gain a majority on the NC Supreme Court before the end of this decade — and try to restore the fairness and impartiality that were once hallmarks of our judiciary — Democrats MUST win this race (and every race in 2026 and 2028, but more on that later!).

So this week, we’re revisiting our interview with Justice Allison Riggs of the North Carolina Supreme Court. For those who don’t know, Justice Riggs previously served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals and was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2023. She is running for election to a full term to keep her seat on the bench.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts:

To learn more about Justice Riggs and her campaign, you can visit www.riggsforourcourts.com.

And don’t forget, we’re trying to help all of the pro-democracy, state-wide North Carolina judicial candidates this year via an ActBlue Slate.

The slate, pictured above from left to right, includes all four state-wide Democratic judicial candidates:

• Judge Carolyn Thompson, North Carolina Court of Appeals; 

• Justice Allison Riggs, North Carolina Supreme Court; 

• Ed Eldred, North Carolina Court of Appeals; and

• Martin Moore, North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Thank you so much to everyone who has pitched in already. For everyone else, what are you waiting on? The slate will stay live until Election Day, but don’t wait. These candidates need our support TODAY!

Support the 2024 NC Judicial Slate Here!

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• Website: https://www.riggsforourcourts.com/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riggsforourcourts

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riggsforourcourts/

• X: https://twitter.com/AllisonJRiggs

Contact Us: jd@carolinademocracy.com

Follow Us:

• Facebook: @CarolinaDemocracy

• Instagram: @carolinademocracy

Please consider supporting the 2024 NC Judicial Slate: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ncjudicial