In 2021 it became apparent to a few of us that we needed to figure out how to get more citizens involved in democracy in a nonpartisan way, particularly those who are unregistered.
It seemed that many people were dropping out and throwing up their hands, either not voting or not registering to vote.
We were also surprised at the number of eligible, but unregistered, voters in North Carolina, as well as the thousands of new residents coming into the state each week. Democracy, in our opinion, was running on a low battery and needed new energy, new creativity, and some fresh ideas. We were determined to improve the democratic process in North Carolina.
So, we decided to form a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. The vision was to get new voters in the system and then get them to vote so their voices could be heard and not ignored, but we also wanted to try something different. We wanted to see if we could make the registration process more cost-effective.
Clearly, much time, effort and money had been devoted to voter registration over the years, but something was missing. We started by putting in our own money and soliciting donations from our friends and colleagues from across the state. We hired the best election law firm in N.C to guide us, formed a corporation, opened a bank account, hired an executive director and a staff person, got an EIN number, and a PO Box, and set sail on a journey. The journey of discovery about the voting process has been eye opening, exhilarating, and at times exhausting. It’s hard work.
Fortunately, the North Carolina Voter Project has come a long way, thanks to many supporters who believe in what we are doing and how we are doing it. We are strategically, methodically, and doggedly working on this project every day.