As of July 27, 2022 any individual on probation, parole, or post release supervision is immediately eligible to register and vote in North Carolina. In a major victory for approximately 56,000 North Carolinians, the NC Supreme Court ruled recently that tax paying citizens with criminal records should be eligible to register and vote because denying them that right was equal to “taxation without representation” . As a result, the Forward Justice Coalition Partners kicked off the Unlock Our Vote Freedom Summer Tour on July 27, 2022 in Raleigh with events across the state starting July 30th.
On August 27, 2022 from 10:00am – 3:00pm Exodus Missionary Outreach United Church of Christ and United Way agency Exodus Homes will host an Unlock Our Vote voter information and registration drive at the Ridgeview Recreation Center located at 115 7th Ave SW in Hickory, NC 28602. Exodus Ministries is working with seventeen other organizations to coordinate the event including the Hickory Parks and Recreation Department, the NC Second Chance Initiative, Community Success Initiative, the Poor People’s Campaign, the NC NAACP, Forward Justice, Repairers of the Breach, NC Justice Center, and many others. The event hopes to draw people on probation, parole, and post release supervision as well as others from the community who want to register to vote and learn more about the voting process. Information about absentee ballots, civilian voter registration deadlines, early voting, and other topics will be available. The event will also serve as a reunion for alumni of Catawba Correctional Center in Newton.
This will be a lively event with special speakers from around the state, great music, and free lunch for all who attend. The Rev. Reggie Longcrier, Exodus Homes executive director and founding pastor of Exodus Missionary Outreach United Church of Christ has been working for several months with leaders from across the state to bring the Unlock Our Vote rally to Hickory. “The right to vote is a right that protects all other rights. We want to make sure all people know how they can participate in the democratic process of the American experiment” said Longcrier.
For more information about the Unlock Our Vote rally please contact the Rev. Susan Smith at 828-962-8196 or revsusansmith@gmail.com
