Because This Is America!
Weekly News, Updates, and Events
We As Democrats Believe:
“Everyone’s going to know someone in their family where this happens, or their friends, and I just want to say that’s who I’m thinking about right now, and it’s the reason I’m here in my office devoted to getting the funding we need for a medical surge, and helping people who are out of work.”
-- Senator Amy Klobuchar, whose husband was hospitalized with coronavirus
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NEWS
North Carolina Dems Look Ahead to Preserve Fair November Elections
Last week, the North Carolina Democratic Party outlined a set of priorities in a letter to the State Board of Elections and its COVID-19 Response Task Force to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our electoral system, make voting remotely accessible and transparent, and ensure fair, free, and secure elections.
“North Carolina Democrats are committed to ensuring that every North Carolinian, even in times of crisis, are able to easily cast a ballot and make their voice heard. These common sense changes will make voting remotely more accessible, easier, and more transparent,” said NCDP Chair Wayne Goodwin.
The list of priorities include:
Prepaid postage for mailed ballot requests and returns.
Allow voters to request mail-in ballots by email, fax, online form, or over the phone and honor requests submitted by the one-week deadline.
Allow near relatives and legal guardians to request mail-in ballots at polling locations during One-Stop Early Voting and on Election Day.
Allow persons other than near relatives and legal guardians to assist voters with requesting, completing, and returning ballots.
Allow voters to register by mail up to the mail-in ballot request deadline, allow voters to “one-stop” register to vote and request a mail-in ballot, and restore same-day registration.
Allow voters to certify their ballot by providing the signature of one witness or confirming their intent to submit the ballot in-person or over the phone.
Allow voters and those assisting voters to return mail-in ballots at One-Stop Early Voting sites and Election Day polling places (including curbside).
Count every mail-in ballot submitted by Election Day.
Establish a one-step process for registering to vote and requesting a mail-in ballot.
Establish a robust and uniform system for notifying voters when the Board determines their ballot request or application is invalid.
Develop a tracking system that allows voters to track their ballot from the local Board and on its return from the vo ter to the local Board.
Read the party's full letter here.
A Second Virtual Happy Hour Today at 7 p,m,
New Hanover County Democrat's first Virtual Happy Hour was well attended on March 23, and we're holding another online gathering today, this time with Representative Deb Butler tentatively scheduled as special guest. Because of coronavirus, we need to switch to meetings that do not require us to attend in person. The online happy hour will provide an easy opportunity for New Hanover Democrats to get comfortable with video teleconferencing using the Zoom service. We plan to open the doors at 6:30 p,m. and to begin the Virtual Happy Hour at 7 p.m.
If you are unfamiliar with Zoom, the video teleconferencing service we are using, we recommend that you begin your efforts to sign in at 6:30. If you have difficulty signing in to the Virtual Happy Hour, we will have two volunteers who will be standing by to help you get in: Jim Fleagle at (919) 426-3355 and Stephanie Fetzer at (704) 309-3918. We want every New Hanover Democrat to get comfortable with this technology, because this is how we will be holding meetings for at least the next few months.
See log in details below. If you have never used Zoom before, you may be asked to download an app. Call Jim or Stephanie if you get stuck.
Local Republican Commissioner Echos Trump Dangerous Push to Shorten Social Distancing Campaign
New Hanover County Commissioner Woody White wrote an opinion piece published in WilmingtonBiz last week questioning whether North Carolina citizens should continue fighting COVID-19 by staying home and keeping some businesses temporarily shut down. White's opinion lines up with President Trump's who said last week that he wants to reopen the country for business in weeks, not months, and claimed, without evidence, that continued closures could result in more deaths than the pandemic itself. “We can’t have the cure be worse than the problem,” Trump told reporters at a briefing.
White wrote a March 23 opinion piece titled Life Needs to Go On. "Are we about to go too far and cause more damage to ourselves than what consensus believes the virus would cause, even if it were to go unabated?" White said. "The basic foundations of our civilization are being eroded and if the trajectory of confinement and suspension of civil liberties continues, the pendulum will swing too far and may never come back."
Even Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close Trump ally, urged Trump to stick with the advice of public health officials. “There is no functioning economy unless we control the virus,” he warned on Twitter.
White, a Republican, did not seek reelection to the County Commission and is to leave office at the end of the year. Democrats Jonathan Barfield Jr., who is an incumbent, and Leslie Cohen and Kyle Horton are running for the commission in November, and we think their judgement and compassion would make a welcome change from White. And our Democratic Governor, Roy Cooper, ordered a statewide stay-at-home order, effective today, that recognizes the danger of letting our guard down prematurely.
New Hanover County Public Library Offers Diversions
Looking for something to do while staying home? The local public library buildings are closed but library services are open and operating under temporary social distancing rules. Drive-by pick-up service is available Monday through Friday from 10 am. to 2 p.m., and librarians are available for online and phone chats weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Hanover County Public Library also has a selection of e-books and e-magazines and other materials you can access online. The library is even offering story time for children online.
Future public events include an April 6 online auction of surplus library materials, a May 2 "Virtual 5K Run," and online genealogy search assistance. To see the library's latest newsletter, click here. Or to visit the New Hanover County Public Library website, click here.
EVENTS
NHCDP Virtual Happy Hour -- March 30
When: Monday, March 30, 7 p.m.
Where: Zoom
To join the Happy Hour from your laptop or iPad (recommended) click here:
[link removed]
You can also click that link on a Desktop or smartphone if you don't have a laptop or iPad, but the video may not work well.
To connect by phone (audio only):
One tap mobile:
+16465588656,,226689181#
Or Dial:
+1 646 558 8656
Meeting ID: 226 689 181
New Hanover County Democratic Party Convention -- Postponed to April 25 online
When: Saturday, April 25 (tentative)
Where: Online
7th Congressional District Convention -- Postponed to May 16 online
When: Saturday, May 16 (tentative)
Where: Online
State Convention -- June 6
When: Saturday June 6
Where: TBD
We need to elect At-Large delegates to the Democratic National Convention at this meeting. For details about becoming a Delegate, click here. We will be in touch about plans for the convention.
Best,
Richard Poole, Chair
News Content by James Cummings
If you have any announcements, comments, questions or concerns regarding this email series, please contact the Editor here.
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| Paid for by the New Hanover County Democratic Party |
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Mailing Address:
NHCDP
PO Box 3036
Wilmington, NC 28406
Office Address:
5041 New Centre Drive
Wilmington, NC 28403
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