We’re fighting to ensure equal access to the ballot by advocating that everyone, despite their criminal record history, should be able to participate in our democracy. That’s why we’re working to overturn an unconstitutional disenfranchisement law that disproportionately impacts people of color.
Unlocking the votes and voices of thousands of people impacted by the criminal justice system. Limiting access to the ballot for any group of people is the antithesis of an inclusive democracy. Currently, in the state of North Carolina, people who have been convicted of a felony lose their right to vote not only during any period of incarceration, but also throughout the duration of their probation and post-release supervision periods—thus stripping away their rights to full participation in the democratic process and their ability to have a voice in policy decisions that affect their lives.
Litigation Update
On February 1, 2023, our legal team argued in front of a newly elected, highly polarized, and partisan NC Supreme Court to defend our victory. Unfortunately, the new court overturned our previous ruling, stripping voting rights away from thousands.
Forward Justice will continue working to build our Second Chance voting constituency by continuing to engage low-propensity/high-opportunity, directly impacted, justice-involved individuals to create a power block of transformational voters.
FAQ’s for voting with a record in NC
The History of Felony Disenfranchisement in NC
Black people are disproportionately impacted by this disenfranchisement. Our expert reports found that although Black people constitute 21% of the voting age population in North Carolina, they represent 42% of the people disenfranchised while on probation, parole, or post-release supervision. In 44 counties, today, the disenfranchisement rate for Black people is more than three times the rate of the white population.
The Unlock Our Vote Campaign centers on ensuring that thousands of people in our state do not have their voices unconstitutionally denied in the November election and beyond.
Here’s What We’re Doing
Litigation
Community Success Initiative v. Moore (No. 19-cvs-15941, Wake County Superior Court)
In November 2019, Forward Justice filed a lawsuit on behalf of four organizational plaintiffs and six individual plaintiffs in Wake County Superior Court, seeking to reinstate voting rights for nearly 60,000 North Carolinians previously convicted of felonies who have had their right to vote taken away under the unconstitutional felony disenfranchisement law (N.C.G.S. 13-1). Our plaintiffs allege, and we believe, that this law violates several provisions of the North Carolina Constitution: the free elections clause, the equal protection clause, freedom of speech and assembly, and the ban on property qualifications.
Effective, July 27th, 2022, ANY individual on probation, parole, or post-release supervision is immediately eligible to register and vote.
Narrative Change
We know that shifting policy starts with shifting narrative and culture. We work to center the stories of people directly impacted by this issue, in an effort to shift narrative and public opinion around voter disenfranchisement from one of ‘punishment for a crime or conviction status’ to one of unconstitutional disenfranchisement based in white supremacy and racism.
Through social media campaigns, video storytelling, and traditional media, we want to ensure this work and these stories become a part of statewide and national conversations around rights restoration, voter disenfranchisement and suppression, and the importance of the upcoming election.
We will use these stories and narratives to raise awareness of the racial disparities around disenfranchisement, the social harms that result from disenfranchisement, and as a way to mobilize community members to become actively engaged in this effort — as we make our democracy truly representative by expanding the “we” in “We the People”, and bringing about the bold vision of the full ending of disenfranchisement in North Carolina.
Organizing
The North Carolina Second Chance Alliance
The NC Second Chance Alliance is a statewide alliance of people with criminal records, their family members, service providers, congregations, community leaders and concerned citizens that have come together to address the causes of criminal records and the barriers they create to successful reentry.
Forward Justice is a founding member of the Second Chance Alliance because we believe that it takes bold, collective action to create change. Through our work with the SCA chapters, we are working to conduct outreach to expand our base and mobilize people around this issue through phone banking, hustle texting, canvassing, and event attendance. Community education is a key component of this campaign. We are also working with the SCA chapters across the state to identify local and statewide elected officials and better understand their criminal justice platforms. We are organizing and mobilizing across the state to ensure that directly-impacted community members are actively engaged in this effort.
Forward Justice and our Coalition Partners will be hosting the Unlock Our Vote Freedom Summer Tour beginning July 27th. Community organizers will be hosting voter information and registration drives across the state for those directly impacted by this historic voting rights expansion. We’ll be sending text messages, making phone calls, and hitting the pavement out in the community working to get as many newly eligible voters registered as we can.