Fomentar una cultura de participación cívica
Puede votar
With North Carolina’s voting laws changing as frequently as the seasons, people can get confused – overwhelmed, even – when trying to make their voices heard.
When does early voting start? Do I need a photo ID? What kind? What if the address doesn’t match my registration? Has my district changed? How do I know if I’ve been purged from the voter rolls? Can teenagers pre-register?
Those kinds of questions are the spark that gave rise to Puede votar, a statewide nonprofit organization working year-round to ensure every eligible North Carolinian – regardless of party affiliation – has the information, access and support they need to vote.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Shelby v. Holder decision weakened the Voting Rights Act in 2013, You Can Vote Founder and Executive Director Kate Fellman began recruiting volunteers to provide accurate, localized, nonpartisan voter education. This was especially important for people who frequently face the confusion of shifting laws and moving polling sites, including college students, seniors and people affected by the justice system.
“We believe in one person, one vote, that every eligible vote should count, and that the voting process should be easy,” explains Kate. “It’s all in our name: You Can Vote. It’s very friendly and approachable and empowering. We always have an eye toward making it easy and removing any friction for the voter when it comes time to cast their ballot.”
“We believe that every eligible vote should count and the process should be easy.”
– Kate Fellman, Founder and Executive Director, You Can Vote
In this era of polarization, misinformation and attacks on voting rights, Kate found a strong appetite among North Carolinians for genuine connection and support. “There’s a lot of healing we need to do as a state and as a country. People want to know how to have conversations with their neighbors.”
That hunger for healing, she says, is a strong motivator for action. “People want to do something. They want to volunteer and do voter protection and call the voter hotline if someone needs help. They want to be good community members. They just need to know how to plug in.”
The Latest and Greatest
Kate’s grassroots volunteer effort evolved into a statewide organization providing community-based, up-to-date voter education and registration across all 100 NC counties.
You Can Vote also trains volunteers to register voters and answer people’s questions about the voting process. That can be tricky, given the state’s ever-changing laws and requirements. Advocates have to stay informed and adapt frequently to make sure they provide accurate details.
“We provide the latest and greatest voter information and training for folks,” Kate says. “You can’t just rely on your old training if you’ve done this before. One wrong piece of information, even though it was true last year, could disenfranchise that voter.”
To simplify the process for voters, You Can Vote distributes “fridge cards” in English and Spanish with key election dates, registration information and what to bring to the polls.
You Can Vote builds trust with voters through partnerships with public high schools, community colleges, universities, senior centers and libraries. They work with sheriff departments and reentry councils to ensure people who have been affected by the justice system understand whether they are eligible to vote.
You Can Vote’s NC Civic Fellowship Program has trained hundreds of college students to help their classmates navigate the voting process.
“That peer-to-peer relational organizing is so important with the confusion on college campuses,” Kate says. “The fellows quickly become these voting experts. Then I see that spark of young people eagerly wanting to help people get engaged through voting.”
The Democracy We Deserve
One aspect of voter education is expanding people’s perception of civic engagement, like how people can advocate for their communities beyond the ballot.
“If someone’s coming into your neighborhood to build a massive, polluting development, you can get all your neighbors involved, go down to your city council, and say, ‘This is inappropriate for our neighborhood,’” Kate says. “Authentic community input means our leaders are making decisions based on the will of the people who elected them.”
You Can Vote also stresses the importance of down-ballot races and understanding what those roles do.
“Those local offices that are so close to you impact your daily life,” says Kate. “Candidates come and go, but the offices and the responsibilities to the people of your community and your state will always be there.”
You Can Vote Triangle Deputy Organizer Tana Liu-Beers helps a woman register to vote at Durham Technical Community College. Photo by Cherie Witter.
You Can Vote Civic Fellow Maria Siquina partners with Seahawks that Serve on the UNC Wilmington campus.
You Can Vote Deputy Organizer Pat Reed hands out “fridge cards” at the Durham Veterans’ Affairs office.
Students and You Can Vote staff pose with “fridge cards” and stickers at Appalachian State University in Boone.
You Can Vote’s Western NC Campaign Director Dominique Bradley speaks with voters at NC A&T University in Greensboro. Photo by Cherie Witter.
You Can Vote Civic Fellow Samantha helps a woman register to vote at Carrboro’s Pride Dance Party. Photo by Sofia Nyiri.
You Can Vote volunteer Monique hands out “fridge cards” at Pittsboro Summer Fest. Photo by Ron Garcia-Fogarty.
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Outer Banks, from polling sites to senior centers, college campuses to town halls, Kate says it will take all of us to show up and make sure every North Carolinian’s voice is heard.
“Our democracy works better when every eligible vote is counted,” explains Kate. “We make better decisions as communities and as a state with all our voices at the table. By informing and educating and mobilizing all eligible voters, we can create the democracy we deserve.”
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