Publisher Simon & Schuster announced that the campaign memoir of former Vice President Kamala Harris, 107 Days, has sold 350,000 copies in one week. The sales total includes print, ebooks, and audiobooks. The numbers released by the publisher reflect that Harris’ book will be the top political book of 2025. The book goes into the details of Harris’ unexpected 107-day 2024 presidential campaign. The former Vice President became a famous nominee after President Biden dropped out of the race for The White House on July 21, 2024. Biden dropped out after a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump on June 27, 2024. Biden appeared confused and was slow to answer many questions and many attributed his issues to his age. Shortly before Biden’s withdrawal there was internal debate on whether there should be a hastily put together Democratic primary. But with only a short time left in the campaign before Election Day — Vice President Harris became the nominee. But the campaign was only 107 days because of Biden’s late timing in exiting the race. While there has been internal criticism within the Democratic Party pushing back against what Harris relays in her book, the strong interest and response by the public in the form of strong book sales and packed appearances is evidence of strong public interest. According to Simon & Schuster, the book has already been ordered for a 5th printing. A 5th printing of “107 Days” will bring the number of hardcover copies in print to 500,000. Harris’ book has a chance to be a historic best seller. Michelle Obama’s memoir “Becoming” is widely considered the most-read political memoir of all time. The 2018 book sold over 8 million copies globally and discussed issues of identity, race, ambition, family, and public service.
By Staff of Daily Kos
Martin County, nestled in northeast North Carolina, had 24,500 residents in 2010. By 2020, that number had dropped to 22,000. Like much of rural America, its population is steadily declining.
Politically, it’s followed a familiar trajectory. President Barack Obama carried the county twice by 5 points. In 2016, President Donald Trump edged out Hillary Clinton, 49.2% to 48.8%. And by 2020, Trump’s margin grew to 52% to President Joe Biden’s 47%. Last year, he won it by 55% to Vice President Kamala Harris’ 45%.
Now the county faces a very different kind of loss: its only hospital shut down in August 2023 due to financial strain, making the nearest emergency room 22 miles away—a 30-minute drive that, for some, is fatal. It’s even farther for more advanced medical services.
There were plans to reopen the hospital, but then Trump’s proposed cuts to Medicaid—framed as a crackdown on “fraud and waste”—shattered that possibility.
According to The New York Times, the impacts are felt acutely by Martin County residents, more than a quarter of whom are older than 65. The nearest hospital is in Greenville 40 minutes away.
Verna Marie Perry, 66, a former worker in the county’s adult and aging services department, told the Times that she now fields calls from friends in medical crises.
“Neighbors have called me crying moments after someone close to them died while being transported to the nearest hospital,” she said.
It’s a tragic reality made worse by the fact that some residents still can’t—or won’t—see the connection between their vote and the disaster now unfolding.
Cathy Price, 72, a lifelong Williamston resident and former nurse at the shuttered Martin General, told the Times that while she still backs Trump’s efforts to trim Medicaid, “we’re in a life-and-death crisis. People’s lives are on the line because of the hospital not being here.”
There it is: She voted to hurt other people, not herself. And even now, she clings to the fantasy that all of that “fraud and waste” must be happening somewhere else.
But the harsh reality is that there’s nothing remotely efficient about a hospital serving just 22,000 people. Rural hospitals aren’t profitable. They can only exist because of subsidies from urban areas—in effect, from liberals.
And for years, that was the deal: Blue America paid the bills so red America could have hospitals, schools, broadband, and clean water. In return, rural voters have voted to burn the country down.
Okay, then.
We feel for the 45% of Martin County voters who backed Harris. They tried to do what was best for their country and their county. As for Price and her fellow Trump voters? We hope that they get exactly what they voted for.
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
MSNBC has parted ways with Joy Reid, marking the departure of another prominent Black woman from the network. Reid joins Rashida Jones, the first Black woman to head a major cable news network, along with Melissa Harris-Perry and Tiffany Cross. All four women brought critical, unapologetic perspectives on race, politics, and power—voices that many believe are being systematically eliminated.
Bobby Henry, chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), called Reid’s removal unacceptable and urged immediate action. “As Chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), I stand in unwavering solidarity with Joy Reid and the impactful legacy of The ReidOut,” Henry said. “Joy’s voice has been a beacon of truth, justice, and empowerment for our community, and now is the time for us to show up for her. I urge you to join us—together, we will lift our voices, strategize, and continue to support those who champion our stories. Our collective strength is our greatest asset—let’s stand united for Joy and for the future of Black journalism. The Black Press of America and Black-owned media is needed now just as we were almost 200 years ago.” Reid’s departure has drawn immediate criticism from viewers, journalists, and activists. Kevin Simmons, a supporter of The ReidOut, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “The racists are rejoicing” after MSNBC announced the show’s cancellation. “The ReidOut had a great run. Joy will be okay. Crazy this announcement comes after she just won two NAACP awards last night.” Justice Correspondent Elie Mystal called Reid irreplaceable. “I owe the television part of my career to Joy Reid, as do so many other Black voices y’all never would have heard of if not for her,” Mystal wrote. “And that’s why she’s gone. They can treat Black folks as interchangeable, but everybody Black knows that Joy was indispensable.” Many have pointed out that while MSNBC cuts ties with Reid, the network keeps shows like Morning Joe, whose hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski reportedly visited Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago after his 2016 victory. The decision to retain programming aligned with political power while eliminating Black voices critical of that power is being viewed as deliberate. MSNBC’s move comes as Trump continues targeting the press. He has filed a lawsuit against 60 Minutes, claiming the program manipulated an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump also ordered federal agencies to cancel subscriptions to major outlets, including The New York Times, Politico, and Reuters, cutting public employees off from independent news sources. He has praised Fox News as his administration’s “official” media outlet, further tightening control over the information pipeline. Trump has declared that only the president can decide what is lawful—a statement more in line with authoritarianism than constitutional democracy. Henry, the NNPA chairman, said the Black community must remain vigilant. “Our collective strength is our greatest asset,” he said. “Let’s stand united for Joy and for the future of Black journalism.”
Tech Billionaires attend Trump’s inauguration L. to R. Mark Zuckerberg (Meta-Facebook), Bezos’ fiancé Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Sundar Pichal (Google) and Elon Musk (Tesla)
By Hazel Trice Edney
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – President Donald J. Trump, promising in his inaugural address to use his power to “bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent, and totally unpredictable”, has rewarded hundreds of violent Jan. 6 insurrectionists with full pardons and release from prisons despite many of their pleas of guilt.
Approximately 1,500 of the predominately White crowd, several of whom beat police officers with the United States flag, sprayed them with chemicals, and threatened to hang Vice President Mike Pence, are going free this week with no chance of further punishment for attempting to stop the certification of President Joe Biden on Jan. 6, 2021. Yet, Trump has repeated called the Jan. 6 insurrection a “day of love.”
Many of those who protested that day were led by the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, both known as far-right militant organizations. Proud Boys leader, Enrique Tarrio, who had begun his sentence of 22 years and Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, had begun an 18-year sentence are now free after Trump’s pardons. They had been convicted of seditious conspiracy.
Ironically, Trump’s inaugural address had spoken of glorious days to come for the nation. “We will move with purpose and speed to bring back hope, prosperity, safety, and peace for citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed,” he said.
Despite Trump’s sweeping pardons of the Capitol attackers, there has never been an apology from him for his recently continued and repeated false accusations against the Central Park 5 who were found completely innocent of a Central Park jogger 36 years ago. Nor has he apologized for falsely accusing Haitian people of eating dogs and cats of their Ohio neighbors and the string of other lies against people of color.
Remarkably, Trump’s inauguration, which appeared to have gone smoothly Jan. 20, complete with an indoor U. S. Capitol swearing in ceremony due to the cold, an indoor parade at the Capital One Arena and three inaugural balls, were all undermined by what appeared to be continued lies, insults and not one good word about Biden; nor Vice President Kamala Harris, who Trump handily defeated. “From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will, very simply, put America first,” Trump said in his inaugural address in front of members of Congress, the U. S. Supreme Court and Presidents Biden, Obama, Bush, Clinton, Vice President Harris and even former Vice President Pence. Several tech billionaires were strategically placed on the dais, in front of Trump’s family members and cabinet selections.
“Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced. The vicious, violent, and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government will end,” Trump said to applause. He did not mention the pending pardons during his official inaugural address.
But only a few hours later, he announced the more than a thousand pardons of what he called, “J-6 hostages.” In campaign promises along the trail over the past months, Trump had promised there would be pardons of those convicted of crimes on Jan. 6. But even his Republican supporters did not expect him to release violent offenders that led to the wounding of more than 140 police officers, the deaths of six others and millions of dollars in damages to the Capitol building.
“If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned,” then Vice President-elect Vance said in front of cameras only days before the inauguration. Republican Speaker Mike Johnson agreed that he thought Trump was not promising sweeping pardons. On Tuesday, he told Politico that he had not yet seen the list and would be reviewing it.
“Full pardons. Full pardons,” Trump said repeatedly as he signed the executive orders. He said only about six would receive clemency, which means their slates are not wiped cleaned, but their sentences would end or be significantly reduced.
Trump supporters have argued that Biden’s pardons of his son, Hunter, weeks ago as well as his pardon of members of his entire family within the last few minutes of his tenure as president may have prompted Trump to release the Jan. 6 convicts. But others argue that Trump likely knew exactly what he was going to do and, besides, Biden’s family members were not violent.
Another executive order issued by Trump includes ending (DEI) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the federal government. “The injection of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) into our institutions has corrupted them by replacing hard work, merit, and equality with a divisive and dangerous preferential hierarchy,” said a statement on NAACP president: anti-DEI law harming students, professors
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has ignited debates about his legitimacy and a surge of interest in emigration. While Trump won all seven swing states and secured the presidency, his share of the popular vote—49.83%—places him among the least popular modern American presidents. His 1.55% margin over Vice President Kamala Harris falls far short of historical landslides like Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 triumph, where Johnson won 61.1% of the popular vote.
And with a growing number of Trump voters expressing buyer’s remorse, many political analysts have questioned whether the election victory reflects broad public support for his policies. “If there ever was a mandate, this isn’t it,” Georgetown University political scientist Hans Noel told MSN News. Earlier projections showing Trump winning as much as 53% of the popular vote have proven inaccurate and have added further scrutiny to claims of a sweeping mandate.
Cornell University professor Peter Enns, whose model accurately predicted Trump’s swing state victories, said economic dissatisfaction during Joe Biden’s presidency played a key role in voter decisions. “If this election can be explained by what voters thought of Biden and Harris and economic conditions, it really goes against the notion of a mandate for major change from Trump,” Enns told the Guardian newspaper.
Americans Explore Emigration in Droves
In the wake of Trump’s win, many Americans have begun looking for opportunities abroad. Google reported a 1,270% spike in searches for “move to Canada” as polls closed on the East Coast. Queries about moving to New Zealand climbed nearly 2,000%, while those for Australia rose 820%. According to Google data, searches for emigration had reached historic levels.
Immigration lawyers across North America have been inundated with inquiries. “Every half hour, there’s a new email enquiry,” said Evan Green, managing partner at Green and Spiegel, Canada’s oldest immigration law firm. Green noted that clients’ concerns extend beyond Trump himself to broader societal divisions. “The majority of Americans voted for him, and some people don’t feel comfortable living in that kind of society anymore. People are afraid they are going to lose freedoms.”
Several celebrities have also signaled plans to leave the United States. Sharon Stone intends to move her family to Canada, while America Ferrera is reportedly eyeing the U.K. as a new home base. Minnie Driver has announced plans to leave Los Angeles for the U.K., citing discomfort with the country’s political direction. Whoopi Goldberg, Cardi B, and Elon Musk’s daughter Vivian Wilson are among others expressing interest in relocating.
For those seeking guidance, destinations such as Panama City, Budapest, Belize, and Phuket, Thailand, are being recommended for American expats. The locations reportedly offer affordable living and pathways to residency.
Diaspora Citizenship in Ghana
In Ghana, the African diaspora is reconnecting with its roots. On November 19, 524 diaspora members received Ghanaian citizenship during a landmark Accra International Conference Centre ceremony. The event, part of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s ongoing efforts to strengthen ties with the diaspora, builds on the success of the 2019 “Year of Return” campaign.
“Your ancestors left these shores under tragic and inhumane circumstances,” Akufo-Addo exclaimed. “Today, we reclaim that connection by welcoming you as part of our Ghanaian family.” He reminded attendees that the initiative goes beyond symbolism, providing tangible opportunities for the diaspora to shape Africa’s future.
“Being Ghanaian is about embracing values such as respect, equity, and peace,” Akufo-Addo said. “These principles are at the heart of our identity, and we invite you to embody them as you integrate into our society.”
Alabama certified the results of the 2024 general election on Tuesday, affirming Donald Trump’s dominance as he received 64.6% of the votes cast for president, topping the 62% that he got in 2016 and 2020.
Vice President Kamala Harris got 34.1%.
Three independent candidates and the write-in votes accounted for the other 1.3%.
Trump received 1,462,616 votes in Alabama, about 21,000 more than four years ago. Harris received 772,412, about 77,000 fewer than Joe Biden got in 2020.
The Alabama State Canvassing Board, including Secretary of State Wes Allen, certified the results received from the counties on November 26th in a short ceremony at the Capitol.
Representatives of Gov. Kay Ivey and Attorney General Steve Marshall, who are on the board, attended the meeting.
Trump carried 55 of Alabama’s 67 counties. He received more than 90% of the vote in four counties.
Here are the 10 counties with the highest percentage vote for Trump:
Winston, 91.4%
Cleburne, 91.3%
Marion, 90.4%
Blount, 90%
Cullman, 89.7%
Geneva, 88.1%
Lamar, 87.6%
Cherokee, 87.3%
Franklin, 86.1%
Covington, 85.9%.
Most of the dozen counties where Vice President Kamala Harris beat Trump were sparsely populated counties in the Black Belt. Harris did win Jefferson County, the state’s largest, as well as Montgomery County.
Here are the 11 counties that Trump lost, according to the results certified by the Alabama State Canvassing Board. They are listed in the order of the lowest percentages for Trump.
Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Journal-isms
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Vice President Kamala Harris is gaining among Black male voters and Donald Trump’s appeal is declining, the NAACP said Monday, unveiling fresh survey information just days before election day Nov. 5.
The nation’s oldest civil rights organization attributed whatever success the Republican former president has had with Black men to misinformation and disinformation on social media, which has usurped both broadcast and cable television as media of choice for younger Black voters, as well as a decline in civics education in the nation’s schools. Those who favored Trump were also the least likely to vote, they said.
At a midday press briefing, NAACP President Derrick Johnson also faulted the news media for focusing too much on “side issues, when there is a clear and present danger that should be addressed head on.” Trump supporters are seeking to create a “Jan. 6 reality,” he said.
The organization found that from August to October, Black men under 50 decreased their likelihood to vote for Trump (27-21%) and increased their likelihood to vote for Harris (51-59%). The number of Black people who are certain Trump voters has declined by 11 percent since a September survey, while support for Harris has risen by 6 percent, the survey found.
“Black men are the least Trump male voters in America,” said Joshua Doss, senior pollster and political strategist at HIT Strategies, which conducted the polling for the NAACP, yet media coverage has been “a little misleading,” with the exaggerations “popping up in focus groups.”
NAACP officers and HIT pollsters also said they were heartened by results showing that discussion of health issues was resonating with Black men and that more than half said they planned to vote in down-ballot races, indicating that their perception of the value of “community power” was on the rise.
“The concept of voter apathy is declining” among those surveyed, said Phaedra Jackson, vice president of unit advocacy and effectiveness at the NAACP, perhaps a natural consequence of the truism that more people pay attention to the election after Labor Day.
Johnson called the misinformation and disinformation on social media the biggest obstacle to getting African Americans to cast ballots, saying media consumption habits were generational. The median age for African Americans is 32.
The difference between the broadcast media and cable, favored by previous generations, said Johnson, is that “You have social media without any guard rails.” And “you have a whole generation who never had civics making bad choices, including not to vote.”
The NAACP is meeting the change in media habits by “meeting people where they are” — through digital media — but Johnson also said “the biggest hurdle now is an education hurdle.”
The get-out-the-vote drive is operating on many fronts, including the courts. The officials pointed to a victory this month in Nebraska, where a state Supreme Court ruled that state election officials must comply with a law allowing former felons to vote immediately after they complete their sentences instead of waiting two years.
“To date, NAACP’s $20 million civic engagement program has reached over 60 million Americans through canvassing, digital outreach, community outreach, and digital, print & radio ads,” the organization added.
“The NAACP has successfully ended Georgia’s Hand Count rule, prevented the disenfranchisement of thousands of WA voters, and halted Alabama’s ‘Purge Program’ through coordinated litigation.”
Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee Monday announced “a first-ever seven-figure ‘I Will Vote’ ad campaign targeting Black voters through ads in 55 Black publications and on 48 Black radio stations across the country. The historic ad campaign will feature radio spots from Kerry Washington, LeToya Luckett-Coles, John Legend, and Stevie Wonder,” it said.
“This strategic investment comes on the heels of several paid ad campaigns launched by the DNC and the Harris-Walz campaign aimed at turning out and mobilizing Black voters – a critical voting bloc this election. The DNC’s ‘I Will Vote’ campaign directs voters to the DNC’s most complete, accurate, and up-to-date national coverage of polling places and voter education information all in one place to empower Black communities with the information they need to exercise their right to vote in this critical election cycle.”
In another development, BET Media Group announced Monday it will premiere the ‘BET Black Men’s Summit,’ hosted by comedian, actor, and radio host D.L. Hughley. Airing on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 10 PM ET/9 PM CT and streaming on BET+, BET.com, and across the BET social media platforms.”
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Vice President Kamala Harris raised concerns about Donald Trump’s ongoing racist rhetoric during a virtual town hall with radio host Charlamagne tha God, suggesting the former president intends to use fear as a tool to target minority communities. Harris responded to a voter from Georgia who feared Trump would use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to detain people of color. “Bobby,” the voter, expressed worry that Trump would “put anyone that doesn’t look white in camps.”
“You’ve hit on a really important point and expressed it, I think, so well,” Harris said. “He is running full-time on a campaign that is about instilling fear. Not about hope, not about optimism, not about the future, but about fear.”
Harris went on to criticize Trump’s claims that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating their pets. She also accused him of sabotaging a bipartisan border security bill that would have added border agents and targeted fentanyl trafficking. “He would prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem,” Harris stated.
Democratic strategist James Carville earlier voiced his concerns, comparing Trump’s tactics to those of Nazi Germany. Speaking on MSNBC’s Inside with Jen Psaki, Carville warned that Trump’s planned rally at Madison Square Garden on October 27 was reminiscent of a pro-Nazi event held there in 1939. During that rally, which drew 20,000 supporters, swastikas were displayed alongside a portrait of George Washington, while speakers promoted anti-Semitic views.
Carville cautioned Americans about the dangers of another Trump presidency: “They’re telling you they’re doing all of this. This is not something we’re making up. They have promised military round-up.” He emphasized the Harris campaign’s need to clarify the severe threats Trump could pose.
Trump recently stated on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures that he might deploy the National Guard or military forces to prevent “radical left lunatics” from causing unrest on Election Day. “It should be very easily handled by, if necessary, the National Guard, or if really necessary, the military,” he said.
Others have echoed Carville’s concerns. In June, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow questioned whether camps under a Trump administration would be limited to migrants, saying, “What convinces you that these massive camps he’s planning are only for migrants?”
New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal has called on Madison Square Garden to cancel Trump’s rally, stating, “Allowing Trump to hold an event at MSG is equivalent to the infamous Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden on February 20, 1939.” He urged the venue to “keep our city safe.”
With three weeks until Election Day, Carville made his final plea: “Pay attention to them right now, please. They’re telling you.”
RBT9NR Medical debt with billing statement with clipboard.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has intensified its efforts to combat abusive medical debt collection practices, seeking to protect over 100 million Americans burdened by $220 billion in medical debt. Vice President Kamala Harris said she’s supporting the action, which targets pervasive problems like inflated prices, double billing, and attempts to collect on fictitious or unverified debts.
CFPB Director Rohit Chopra highlighted the rampant problems in medical billing and collection, including the illegal pursuit of undocumented debts and breaches of collection limits. The agency’s new guidance seeks to curb such practices and ensure that debt collectors follow the law when pursuing outstanding medical bills.
States are also stepping up their efforts to shield consumers from the detrimental effects of medical debt. Minnesota recently introduced new debt collection regulations, prohibiting healthcare providers from denying essential services due to unpaid bills. Beginning next year, a law in California signed by Governor Gavin Newsom will shield consumers’ credit reports from the majority of medical debt. Similar legislation has been enacted in New York and Connecticut, marking a growing trend of state-led protections.
“With this new law, California is stepping up to protect consumers,” said state Senator Monique Limón, who authored the legislation that prevents medical debt from damaging credit reports. Limón, backed by Attorney General Rob Bonta, noted that medical debt should not be treated like other forms of debt, as people often incur it through circumstances beyond their control.
In addition to state actions, the Biden-Harris administration has prioritized reducing the burden of medical debt nationwide. Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has underscored how medical debt can block access to critical economic opportunities, from homeownership to business ventures. In June, she announced a CFPB rule to remove medical debt from the credit reports of over 15 million Americans.
“No one should be denied economic opportunity because they got sick or experienced a medical emergency,” Harris said. “That is why I have worked to cancel hundreds of millions in medical debt to date – part of our Administration’s overall plan to forgive $7 billion by 2026.”
The White House said the CFPB’s actions and state initiatives should reshape how medical debt is collected and reported, providing much-needed relief to millions of Americans struggling with healthcare costs.
SPECIAL TO THE TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE FROM ETHNIC MEDIA SERVICES
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – A group of civil rights organizations announced Sept. 5 they are challenging a lawsuit by the Republican Party, which seeks to deem 225,000 registered voters in North Carolina ineligible to vote.
The lawsuit impacts any voter in North Carolina who does not have a Social Security number and a driver’s license — or other DMV document — on file with the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE).
Election officials note that this could be a fault of human error, and that such documents were not required before 2005, when the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) took effect.In its lawsuit filed Aug. 23, the RNC stated that the NCSBE allowed over a quarter million people to register to vote with registration forms that failed to collect required identification information. The RNC deemed it a violation of HAVA.
“Because of these errors, the North Carolina voter rolls are potentially replete with ineligible voters — including possible non-citizens — all of whom are now registered to vote,” declared the RNC in its lawsuit. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a press statement: “The NCSBE has once again failed in its mandate to keep non-citizens off the voter rolls, fueling distrust and jeopardizing our elections. We are committed to the basic principle – and commonsense law – that only Americans decide American elections.”
Voting by undocumented immigrants is extremely rare, reports the Brennan Center. In a survey of 23.5 million ballots, the organization found only 30 fraudulent votes, just 0.0001 percent of the votes cast. The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, also reports that non-citizens do not vote in detectable numbers. Non-citizens who attempt to vote can be criminally prosecuted and deemed ineligible for citizenship.
Motion to Intervene
The North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, along with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Southern Coalition for Social Justice filed a motion to intervene Sept. 4, on behalf of the North Carolina NAACP, and Sailor Jones, associate director of Common Cause, North Carolina, who is directly affected by the RNC lawsuit. The NAACP notes that Black voters would be disproportionately impacted, should the RNC’s lawsuit prevail.
In an interview with Ethnic Media Services, Jones said he has voted in North Carolina for decades. But he re-registered to vote on July 8, 2022, after changing residences. Neither his social security number or his driver’s license show up in voter files, thus he would be deemed ineligible to vote, should the RNC prevail. Jones said he provided his driver’s license when voting in the 2024 primary election, and has provided his Social Security number to election officials in the past.
The RNC’s ‘Desperate Move’
“Now I am one of hundreds of thousands eligible North Carolina voters whom extremists want to deny their freedom to cast a ballot just days before voting begins in our state,” he said, characterizing the lawsuit as a “desperate move.”
The East Carolina University Center for Survey Research released a poll Sept. 3, which showed Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump in a one-point lead against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Presidential candidate. Dr. Peter Francia, Director of the East Carolina University Center for Survey Research said in an interview with CBS17 that the razor-thin lead was well within the 3 point margin of error.
Jones said he expects more North Carolinians coming to the polls to rebuke the Republican Party’s extreme policies, including restricting abortion access, new cuts to public education, and penalties for publicly protesting.
American Basketball Player Ineligible to Vote
“While these extremists may have wanted North Carolina voters to be discouraged by this latest political ploy, they forgot we live in a state known for breaking voting records regardless of the barriers in place,” he said.
Jones provided to EMS the full list of a quarter million people who would be deemed ineligible to vote. (The list can be searched by downloading the spreadsheet. While the list has over 750,000 names, only those missing both a driver’s license and a Social Security number would be potentially ineligible to vote). Jones noted that one of his favorite basketball players, University of North Carolina’s Armando Bacot, is on the list. “When you mess with college basketball in North Carolina, you mess with all of us,” said Jones. Bacot, 24, was born in Richmond, Virginia; he is Black.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections has not commented on the lawsuit. It does encourage people to check its database to see if they are still actively registered to vote. People who are listed as inactive can re-register up to 30 days prior to the election. For voters who lack a Social Security number or driver’s license, North Carolinians can submit a photo ID, along with a utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows a name and address.
