NC advocates release 'Blueprint' to strengthen democracy

Amid rising threats to democracy and persistent barriers that make it harder for people to vote, a coalition of advocates and experts have set forth a slate of bipartisan policy measures to strengthen North Carolina’s democratic systems.

“Across our state and country, many view the state of our democracy with fear and alarm,” the authors noted. “In recent years, new voting restrictions, rampant disinformation, growing threats to voters and election officials, and attempts to overturn election results have shaken the confidence of North Carolinians in our democratic system.”

The report, Blueprint for a Stronger Democracy lays out a wide range of best practices for strengthening North Carolina’s democratic institutions, and the recommendations span issues from voter access and election administration to ethics and accountability laws. The report was coordinated by the Institute for Southern Studies, a nonprofit research and education center that publishes Facing South, and North Carolina For The People, a statewide pro-democracy coalition.

This year’s report, an update to previous pro-democracy agendas released in 2021 and 2023, underscores North Carolina’s own history of expanding access and representation, from Reconstruction through the civil rights movement and into the early 2000s, when the state adopted same-day registration during early voting, strong disclosure laws, voter-owned public financing for elections, and other pioneering reforms. These achievements serve as “a testament to what can be accomplished when we persevere and unify around a clear vision for a better democracy,” the authors note.

The comprehensive report offers more than 40 best practices and policy proposals for North Carolina lawmakers to consider. Many have been successfully implemented elsewhere and have “a track record of success in states across the country, and many enjoy strong bipartisan support,” across partisan and ideological lines. Some are forward-looking proposals that, if implemented in North Carolina, could position the state as a national leader in defending and expanding democratic participation.

Experts from the 20 state and national organizations contributing to the report explore initiatives for North Carolina in eight areas:

• Improving voter registration and list maintenance;
• Ensuring voting access and protecting voting rights;
• Strengthening local election infrastructure;
• Defending against election subversion;
• Promoting fair redistricting and equal representation;
• Heightening transparency and combating corruption;
• Ensuring fair and impartial courts; and,
• Protecting the right to protest 

Along with the Institute for Southern Studies and N.C. For The People, contributors to the report include the Brennan Center for Justice, Better Ballot NC, Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause North Carolina, Democracy North Carolina, Disability Rights North Carolina, Emancipate North Carolina, Fix the Court, Forward Justice, League of Women Voters of North Carolina, National Vote at Home Institute, North Carolina Asian Americans Together, North Carolina Black Alliance, North Carolina Counts Coalition, North Carolina Budget & Tax Center, People’s Parity Project, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, and Voters’ Right to Know.

“As we face a new wave of attacks on democracy, the authors concluded, it is more critical than ever that we offer a powerful and compelling vision for strengthening democracy in North Carolina.”