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North Carolina Republicans Escalate Attack on Student Voting
The attempt to prevent students from voting and running for office where they attend school is likely unconstitutional based on the 1979 Supreme Court case Symm v. United States. Nonetheless, the GOP board of elections in Pasquotank County formally prevented King from running for office today. King can then appeal to the state board of elections, which is also controlled by Republicans. If it refuses to accept his candidacy, he can appeal to the state court of appeals. But time is running short. The election is the second Tuesday in October, and ballots will soon be printed without his name on it. There’s no guarantee the courts will hear the case before the election.
“This is highly unusual,” says Anita Earls of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, which is representing King. “I was on the state board of elections for two years and we never had a case where a candidate was disqualified a few weeks before the election.” Earlier this year, Pasquotank County GOP chair Richard Gilbert also purged fifty-six student voters from Elizabeth City State University, all African-American, from the voting rolls, claiming they were not properly register to vote at their campus address. At King’s hearing, Gilbert was accompanied by Susan Myrick of the Civitas Institute, a right-wing group funded almost exclusively by Art Pope, the conservative billionaire who is now Governor Pat McCrory’s budget director.
The shutting down of polling places on college campuses could also draw a legal challenge. “If there’s an intent to stop students from voting, that should be grounds for an equal protections challenge,” says Earls. “Can we get a state or federal court to stop it? That’s an open question.”
There were at least sixteen early voting sites located on college campuses during the 2012 election (UNC-Asheville, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro, North Carolina State University, Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, North Carolina Central University, Winston-Salem State University, North Carolina A & T University, Duke University, Johnston County Community College, Wake Tech Community College (2 sites), Stanly County Community College, Cape Fear Community College). Ten additional early voting sites are located within half a mile of a college campus (Boiling Springs Town Hall, Gardner-Webb University; Smith Recreation Center, Fayetteville State University; Franklin County Board of Elections Office, Louisburg College; Gaston County Citizens Resource Center, Gaston College; Oak Hollow Mall, John Wesley College; Morrison Regional Library, DeVry University; Randolph County Office Building, Randolph County Community College; Cole Auditorium, Richmond County Community College; former DSS Building, Catawba College; Old Library Building, Brevard College). Former North Carolina State Senator Ellie Kinnard, who resigned from office yesterday to fight the voter suppression law and help people get voter IDs, told Rachel Maddow that she believes the North Carolina GOP will try to shut down every one of them.
“This is highly unusual,” says Anita Earls of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, which is representing King. “I was on the state board of elections for two years and we never had a case where a candidate was disqualified a few weeks before the election.” Earlier this year, Pasquotank County GOP chair Richard Gilbert also purged fifty-six student voters from Elizabeth City State University, all African-American, from the voting rolls, claiming they were not properly register to vote at their campus address. At King’s hearing, Gilbert was accompanied by Susan Myrick of the Civitas Institute, a right-wing group funded almost exclusively by Art Pope, the conservative billionaire who is now Governor Pat McCrory’s budget director.
The shutting down of polling places on college campuses could also draw a legal challenge. “If there’s an intent to stop students from voting, that should be grounds for an equal protections challenge,” says Earls. “Can we get a state or federal court to stop it? That’s an open question.”
There were at least sixteen early voting sites located on college campuses during the 2012 election (UNC-Asheville, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro, North Carolina State University, Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, North Carolina Central University, Winston-Salem State University, North Carolina A & T University, Duke University, Johnston County Community College, Wake Tech Community College (2 sites), Stanly County Community College, Cape Fear Community College). Ten additional early voting sites are located within half a mile of a college campus (Boiling Springs Town Hall, Gardner-Webb University; Smith Recreation Center, Fayetteville State University; Franklin County Board of Elections Office, Louisburg College; Gaston County Citizens Resource Center, Gaston College; Oak Hollow Mall, John Wesley College; Morrison Regional Library, DeVry University; Randolph County Office Building, Randolph County Community College; Cole Auditorium, Richmond County Community College; former DSS Building, Catawba College; Old Library Building, Brevard College). Former North Carolina State Senator Ellie Kinnard, who resigned from office yesterday to fight the voter suppression law and help people get voter IDs, told Rachel Maddow that she believes the North Carolina GOP will try to shut down every one of them.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/175837/north-carolina-republicans-escalate-attack-student-voting#axzz2ccoNmC6P