What are the next steps and what should we do now?
As of now, individuals who are on probation, parole, or post-release supervision do not have the right to vote due to the highly polarized and partisan NC Supreme Court’s most recent ruling.
Approximately 25,000 people currently on felony supervision finished their probation at the end of 2023. We have a targeted county-based plan for 2024 to re-register as many of these voters as possible.
If you’re directly impacted by this ruling and would like to share your story about what voting means to you, please use this form, or email: info@ncsecondchance.org
Unlock Our Vote Freedom 2022 Summer Tour Coalition partners:
Advance NC, Black Voters Matter, Community Success Initiative, Emancipate Votes, Forward Justice Action Network, Justice Served NC, NC ACLU, NC Community Bail Fund of Durham, NC Justice Center, NC NAACP, NC Second Chance Alliance, Poor People’s Campaign, Repairers of the Breach, Wash Away Unemployment, You Can Vote
Overview of the campaign and case.
The Unlock Our Vote campaign centers on ensuring that thousands of people in our state directly impacted by the criminal legal system have a civic voice and are able to participate in our democracy. Our democracy cannot be truly representative of the will of the people with so many of our community members disenfranchised and unable to participate in the democratic process. Forward Justice launched the Unlock Our Vote campaign in an effort to expand the “We” in “We the people” and make our democracy more inclusive and representative.
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 over 55,000 North Carolinians previously convicted of felonies who live in our communities but had not been restored the right to vote due to an unconstitutional felony disenfranchisement law.
Register to Vote!
You may register to vote online through the NCDMV, by mail, by dropping your form off at your county board of elections office, or in-person during early voting. The resources below will help ensure you have everything you need to exercise your vote. The regular deadline to register to vote in North Carolina is 25 days before an election.
Questions about Voting?
- Nonpartisan NC Voter Protection Hotline
- If you have questions about your voter registration status, voting by mail or in person, or photo voter ID requirements, you can contact the non-partisan North Carolina Election Protection Hotline at 1-888-OUR-VOTE. You should also contact this hotline if you experience any form of voter intimidation, which includes: being yelled at or harassed; being threatened with a weapon; the presence of white supremacist groups or hate symbols at the polls; having your citizenship questioned because of your ethnicity or name; poll observers interfering with your ability to vote; or aggressive electioneering.
- Second Chance Voter Hotline
- If you are directly impacted by the criminal justice system and you have questions about your eligibility to vote in North Carolina, or want to report an instance of voter intimidation, please contact us at 1-877-880-VOTE (8683). In North Carolina, individuals with prior criminal convictions are eligible to vote unless they have been convicted of a felony and have not yet completed their sentence (including probation, post-release supervision or parole).
2024 NC Statewide Primary Dates and Deadlines
- February 9, 2024 – Voter Registration Deadline (by 5 PM)
- February 15, 2024 – One-stop, in-person early voting period begins
- February 27, 2024 – Absentee Ballot Request Deadline (by 5 PM)
- March 2, 2024 – One-stop, in-person early voting period ends at 3 p.m.
- March 5, 2024 – Primary Election Day and Civilian Absentee Ballot Return Deadline.
- March 14, 2024 – Deadline to Show Acceptable Photo ID
Upcoming Events
Stay tuned for upcoming events!
Resources and information
