Stay Woke with HeadCount
2017 marks a year of record civic engagement. More people than ever before are paying attention to politics; millions have already started marching, rallying, and contacting their elected officials. In the midst of all this energy there have been a lot of questions about whether “activism fatigue” will eventually set in or whether we can capture this energy…
Through HeadCount, I Find Myself: A 13 Year Volunteer Journey
In early 2004 my boyfriend, Morgan, received an email from one of his favorite bands announcing that a new, music-oriented voter registration organization called HeadCount was looking for volunteers. He signed us both up immediately, and when I got home from work he was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. I was a few…
Ranked Choice Voting Receives Bipartisan Support in Many States
In a time when many feel their access to a true democracy is blocked by gerrymandering, the electoral college, voter fraud, or voter suppression, bipartisan support is brewing around the country for a different approach to elections: Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). How it works: When completing the ballot the voter ranks all candidates in order of preference. Ballots are…
Rocking the Homestretch at The Ritz in Raleigh
In 12 years of working with HeadCount, I’ve gotten used to seeing great things happen based on relationships. Usually you hear about the great successes and opportunities from relationships with our national partners, amazing board members, artists, and leaders in the music world. But for me the true magic happens on the grassroots level. As…
Ben & Jerry’s Empower Mint: Democracy is in your Hands!
I have a love affair with Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. I vividly remember the first time I enjoyed a cone. It was about 9 pm on December 31, 1999. I was sitting in a field in the Everglades, edging closer and closer to the stage for hours while I waited for Phish to ring…
Fair voting district victory today! But what about tomorrow?
Today the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) unanimously rejected a challenge to the longstanding voting district principal “one person, one vote” by ruling that states may use total population (as opposed to voting population) for drawing local and state legislative districts. This ruling comes from a critical case, Evenwel v Abbott, in which the Texas plaintiffs…
North Carolina Primary in Jeopardy due to Racial Gerrymander
North Carolina’s primaries are in jeopardy after a federal judicial ruling declared two congressional districts unconstitutional due to racial gerrymandering. The Tar Heel State planned to hold primaries on March 15 and even started sending out absentee ballots, but now everything is up in the air. Last Friday a panel of three federal judges ruled…
My Mother: The Voting Rights Crusader
Today marks the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). The VRA is federal legislation that prevents states from discriminating against minority voters. President Johnson announced the bill after the tragedies in Selma, AL and congress pushed it through in relatively short time to respond to the immediate needs of a changing…
All Eyes on North Carolina Election Law Case
North Carolina is carefully being watched as a federal trial is underway that will determine if its 2013 election law is illegal. The plaintiffs, including the US Justice Department, North Carolina NAACP and the North Carolina League of Women Voters, are tasked with proving that North Carolina’s election law reform, known as HB589, was created and enacted to intentionally discriminate against minorities and voters under 25.
SCOTUS takes on racially defined redistricting
This spring the United States Supreme Court has stepped in to address racial gerrymanders in Alabama and North Carolina. Each state has been asked to reconsider existing judicial decisions on districts drawn following the 2010 census. Additional states are expected to follow.