Last week, President Donald Trump addressed the nation in prime-time, dredging up falsehoods about the 2020 Presidential election that he lost to Joe Biden.
Despite Trump’s claims over the years that Biden’s 2020 victory was illegitimate, his own Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency stated within days of the election that it was secure and fair.
“The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history…There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised,” a joint statement by the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council Executive Committee read.
In light of this issue being brought back to the forefront, the pro-democracy organization Indivisible expressed concerns about how Trump could impact the upcoming midterms.
“Since reentering office, Trump has been laying the groundwork for sabotaging the midterm election,” the group said in a statement.
In North Carolina, Indivisible has created a volunteer system called the Election Defense Corps. Those who sign up will receive calls and texts about opportunities to help safeguard this year’s election.
How can you make a difference?
Another way that North Carolinians can make a direct difference in our democracy is by signing up to be a poll worker.
Some of the duties of poll workers include signing in voters, setting up voting machines and stations, and helping open and close the polling location each day.
To qualify as a poll worker, you must live in and be a registered voter at the precinct where you volunteer. The board of elections website states that among those ineligible to be poll workers are candidates, family members of candidates, and elected officials.
If you’re interested in becoming a poll worker, complete the Democracy Heroes Form and an election official will reach out.
Register to vote
Do you need to check your voter registration, re-register, or request an absentee ballot? Cardinal & Pine has launched a one-stop shop to help you do all of these things and more in North Carolina.
If you want to cast your vote in this year’s election, it is critical that you remember the key election deadlines. You can find all deadlines for requesting an absentee ballot, registering to vote, and more here.
You must request an absentee ballot no later than Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. For an absentee ballot to count, it must be returned to the county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.
The standard deadline to register to vote is Oct. 9 at 5 p.m. If you do not register to vote or update your voter registration to your current address by this time, you will not be able to register by mail or online. Your remaining option is to register and vote on the same day in person during early voting, which takes place between Oct. 15 and Oct. 31. Same-day registration requires a proof of residence document, such as a driver’s license, and is not available on Election Day.
On Election Day, Nov. 3, you must vote at your local precinct.
