Why are we working to FLIP NC?

We envision a progressive NC that works for all North Carolinians and protects the most vulnerable among us.

We believe the best way to achieve this vision is by building civic engagement through year-round, direct voter outreach within communities.

What do we mean by “a progressive North Carolina”? We mean one that:

1. Protects our democracy. We believe North Carolinians deserve a government that truly represents the people. This begins with restoring the basic democratic institutions of our state: securing our sacred right to vote by making it easier, not harder; drawing fair maps so that voters choose their representatives instead of representatives choosing their voters; safeguarding our judicial system against partisan tampering; and restoring transparency, thoughtful debate, and deliberation to our institutions of government.

2. Ends economic oppression. North Carolinians deserve to live with dignity – poverty and extreme inequality have no place in a nation as wealthy as ours. It’s past time to end the exploitation of the most vulnerable for the benefit of the few, the rich and the powerful. A fair and just society demands that we end the war on the poor and restore the social safety net, progressive taxation, and economic opportunity for all.

3. Ensures equal rights and protections. We believe in equal rights and protections for all North Carolinians. That means racial equity and justice; bodily autonomy for women; protections against discrimination for LGBTQ North Carolinians; and fair and humane immigration policies free from racist, xenophobic motivations.

4. Supports a strong public education system. The future success of our state depends on the investment we make in public schools today. A good education should not be reserved for the most privileged, and educators should be valued and rewarded for their important work. We must restore North Carolina’s public school system, once the crown jewel of our state, by fighting for the funding it needs to thrive.

5. Guarantees affordable health care. Access to affordable health care is a right, not a privilege. We must create a system in which all North Carolinians can see a qualified medical provider, regardless of their income. No one should die because they can’t afford basic medical care, and we shouldn’t allow companies to value profits more than human lives.

6. Protects the environment. Climate change is real, the stakes are higher than ever, and we must act immediately. North Carolina must prioritize clean air and water for all citizens over corporate profits. By investing in renewable energy, we can create good jobs and improve our economy while protecting our natural resources.

7. Enacts broad criminal justice reforms. Our criminal justice system must respect the dignity and humanity of all individuals and treat all people equally under the law. North Carolina could dramatically reduce its incarceration rate and bring true justice to its criminal justice system by decriminalizing marijuana; rejecting for-profit prisons and a cash bail system that keeps poor people locked up while those wealthier go free; preventing racial profiling by law enforcement; offering incarceration alternatives for non-violent offenses; and restoring the Racial Justice Act.

Why isn't FLIP NC registering voters?

Some folks have asked why we're not doing voter registration. Here's why:

As a volunteer-run organization led by a small group of folks with full-time day jobs, we started FLIP NC knowing that we have limited time, and we wanted to focus on doing one thing well. That one thing? Getting out the vote among left-leaning, registered voters in flippable legislative districts.

We chose to focus on GOTV because this is a blue moon election year; there are no statewide federal races at the top of the ticket to bring voters to the polls. Turnout for the last blue moon election (in 2006) was just 37% - about half of 2016 turnout. That means we have a huge opportunity to win big just by getting left-leaning voters to the polls this November.

Wondering why we don't just carry voter registration forms while we canvass? Well, first, registering voters has legal implications and should not be done without proper training. Preparing canvassers to register voters would require a significantly longer training process, using valuable time that our volunteers could be spending knocking on doors and talking with voters.

Second, we rarely run into folks who aren't registered, because our walk lists use targeted voter data. Some canvassers who have previously been through voter registration training do bring registration forms along when they canvass; yet they hardly ever have the opportunity to use them. In fact, although our 8-member coordinating committee took voter registration training early on so we would be prepared, only one of us has ever encountered an unregistered person across 14 canvasses.

So while voter registration is certainly a critical and worthy cause, it's not FLIP NC's focus for this election. If it's yours, please consider volunteering with You Can Vote, an outstanding organization that provides voter registration training and registers voters across the state.