Opinion

Editorial: Voting's started. Express yourself!

Friday, Feb. 14, 2020 -- Republicans and Democrats are selecting their party's nominees for offices from president to local county commissioner. Unaffiliated voters also can participate. They'll just choose which party's primary to participate in at the polling place. Voting is still easy - for now. If you're already registered to vote, you DO NOT need to provide photo identification to cast a ballot.

Posted 2020-02-14T10:45:38+00:00 - Updated 2020-02-14T10:45:38+00:00

Here are some of your pictures from voting in the 2018 Midterm Elections.

CBC Editorial: Friday, Feb. 14, 2020; Editorial #8510
The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company.

Early voting, leading up to the March 3 primary, is underway and will be available through Saturday, Feb, 29. That’s in addition to absentee voting and casting ballots on primary day. There are one-stop early voting sites in in every county. Locations and hours are easy to find. Just click HERE to locate the address and hours of operation for early voting sites in your county. For those who cannot get to the polls, there’s absentee voting. Information on requesting an absentee ballot is available HERE.

Republicans and Democrats are selecting their party’s nominees for offices from president to local county commissioner. Unaffiliated voters also can participate. They’ll just choose which party’s primary to participate in at the polling place.

Voting is still easy – for now. If you’re already registered to vote, you DO NOT need to provide photo identification to cast a ballot.

Not registered yet? No problem. Voter registration is available at the one-stop early voting sites. To register, you MUST provide proof of residence – a state driver license that includes a home address or another government or college-issued ID card that indicates home residence; or a copy of a utility bill, pay check or a government document that shows a voter’s name and address. You find specifics on what you’ll need HERE.

The mechanics of voting are one thing. Making informed choices – determining the key issues and knowing where candidates stand on those issues – is how to make sure a vote makes a difference.

To move the state forward, we urge North Carolina voters to back candidates for statewide and legislative office who promise to:

Insist that the state strives to be the best, expects excellence in what it does and in the services it provides. Further, assure there are the resources to do it.
Expand Medicaid so more than a half-million working North Carolinians who now cannot afford access to health care services will be able to get them.
Support meeting the state constitutional right to the opportunity for a quality education in a public school for every child. Further, that the way to do that is to enact the seven action items outlined in Superior Court Judge David Lee's Jan. 21 order.
Enact a non-partisan system for creating congressional and legislative election districts.
-- Demand transparency and accountability to the administration of private school vouchers – “Opportunity Scholarships.” Taxpayers deserve to know that their money is REALLY supporting education; programs that don’t discriminate; and demonstrate (in the same way public schools are required) that pupils are learning.
Provide adequate resources to assure that the state’s prisons are: Properly staffed and critical vacancies are eliminated; Equipped with modern equipment and technology to assure the safety and security of the facilities, those who staff them and the inmates who are incarcerated.

Whether the candidates are Democrats or Republicans, these are the priorities that candidates must embrace. It is an agenda for a better North Carolina.