Vote In Every Election!

By DWAYNE DAUGHTRY — As a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization, our advocacy is often referred to as a social welfare organization. To maintain non-profit status, there are a few rules that NCRSOL must abide. While we may have an opening to engage and support political candidates, the staff of NCRSOL will choose to remain neutral in politics. It is best for our organization to refrain from becoming Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, or other political parties. Regardless of your political spectrum, all of our members and supporters represent various political parties. The core mission of our organization is to engage in registry matters and those that support Second Chances and the abolishment of public registries.

However, members and supporters of NCRSOL are encouraged to become a registered voter. General elections are upon the horizon and approaching quickly. North Carolina grants voting rights to citizens affected by the sex offender registry legally residing in one of the 100 North Carolina counties. One of the criteria of becoming a registered voter is those convicted of a felony and completed their jail/prison sentence, including any probation, may register and actively vote. Click here for a North Carolina Voter Registration Application to mail to your local county Board of Elections.

It seems that North Carolina has an uncanny method of creating voting stations at school properties. Naturally, those actively on the sex offender registry are unable to go on school property. However, the staff at NCRSOL encourage all registrants to vote in all elections by Absentee Ballot. Click here for a North Carolina 2020 Absentee Ballot Request Form to mail to your local county Board of Elections.

Let us all be mindful that voting is a right in this nation; we ought to vigorously defend and become an active participant in every election, no matter how insignificant. State and local politics typically are the very people that develop and create sex offender policies and laws. A vote by anyone affected by the registry sends a clear message that “registrants are indeed people and have rights to decide who makes decisions affecting their lives.”

Every election is important. Every vote does count. Every registered voter has a voice by his/her vote. Every election is a chance to stop a politician from creating more draconian registry laws.

Make your voice heard loud and clear. Vote in every election!

If you have questions about voting, the documents uploaded have the telephone contacts of each county board of elections office in your county. For more information about voting rights, please click here.