News / Articles

Public Comment from LWV-Wake President, Cheryl Tung for HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON AN EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR NORTH CAROLINA'S FUTURE

Letter published 12/1/21 in Raleigh News & Observer from presidents Cheryl Tung of LWV-Wake and Gerald Givens of the Raleigh-Apex NAACP:

Unfortunately, the N.C. General Assembly has once again decided to create barriers to voting by reinstating restrictive ballot delivery deadlines that they themselves voted to expand 12 years ago.
A bill recently passed by the N.C. legislature shortens the delivery time absentee ballots can be received and counted. Absentee ballots sent on time should be counted, even when the U.S. mail is running slower than we would like.
If Senate Bill 326 had been in effect in 2020, 11,000 ballots would have been tossed out.

The Raleigh City Council is in process of drawing new districts for the 2022 election. Learn more.

At the October 4 meeting of the Wake Board of Commissioners, LWV-Wake president Cheryl Tung urged transparency and fair process in redistricting the Board's seats.

LWV-Wake president Cheryl Tung presented the League's recommendations for a transparent process as the NC General Assembly took up map drawing for Congressional, NC Senate, and NC House seats.

LWV-Wake president Cheryl Tung presented comments to the Raleigh City Council on November 1, 2021 regarding the process adopted for redistricting.

Published 8/23/2021 in Raleigh News & Observer

Wake County was excluded from the list of 10 proposed public hearing sites for the upcoming round of redistricting. In addition, hearings have only been scheduled prior to maps being released, which prevents the public from providing meaningful feedback on maps once they have been drawn.

Wake is now the largest county in the state and its citizens should have an opportunity to provide public testimony before and after new voting maps are drawn. If the General Assembly is committed to and open and transparent redistricting process, then opportunities for public participation must be broadened to provide more opportunities for citizen participation.

Laurel Voelker,
Redistricting Chair, League of Women Voters of Wake County

In a letter to the Raleigh News and Observer, LWV-Wake calls for a state budget that is free of articles that limit elections in North Carolina.

North Carolina's Republican-led legislature soon will start the decennial redistricting process. One question is, will they look back on a decade's worth of litigation to carve a path towards fairer political maps or to gain as much political advantage as possible before courts take up the inevitable lawsuits?

Host Rusty Jacobs talks with Cheryl Tung of the League of Women Voters of Wake County about the group's Fair Maps Art Contest, and with UNC School of Government Prof. Robert Joyce about redistricting and lessons learned from the past decade's legal battles over North Carolina's voting maps.

The League of Women Voters of Wake County is pleased to announce two winners in our Fair Maps Art Contest to raise awareness of redistricting issues in North Carolina. Winners received cash prizes.

Winners:
1st Place: Elizabeth Trefney, of Raleigh – “Real Maps Real Voices”
2nd Place: Anna Podris, of Raleigh – “Democracy is Rooted in Fair Voting Districts”

These original works are inspired by the League’s belief that voting districts—which the legislature will draw this year—should be fair. Those who draw the maps should avoid partisan politics in the process; that process should provide an abundance of transparency and ample opportunities for public input. The contest fits with LWV-Wake’s mission to educate voters and advocate for a healthy democracy by encouraging informed and active participation in government.

Wake County, the state’s most populous county, was excluded from the list of 10 counties for proposed public hearing sites that was released on Wednesday. In addition, public hearings have only been scheduled prior to maps being drafted with no hearings scheduled after maps have been drawn and released to the public. This prohibits any meaningful feedback from the public on proposed voting maps.