Phone Bank FAQs - NC House District 45
Democratic Candidate: Frances Vinell Jackson
This formerly gerrymandered district, located in Cumberland County, was redrawn by court order after the last election and is now slightly left-leaning. Flipping this district is critical to breaking the majority in the NC House. The good news is that the pool of untapped voters – registered voters who did not vote in 2018 – leans Democratic by more than 30 points in this county. We just need to help these voters vote – and vote the full ticket!
WHO IS CALLING?
Refer them to flipnc.org. We are an all-volunteer, independent grassroots group working to elect progressives/ Democrats. If they ask for contact info, you must provide it. You can give them FLIP NC’s PO Box: PO Box 51236, Durham, NC 27727
WHO IS THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE?
Frances Vinell Jackson is a longtime Hope Mills resident, a government planner, and a professor at Fayetteville Technical Community College. She is running to increase education funding and teacher pay, bring new jobs to the district, protect our environment, and ensure clean air and water for all North Carolinians. Visit her website for more information: francesjackson2020.com
WHO IS MY CURRENT REPRESENTATIVE?
This district is currently represented by John Szoka, a Republican with a track record of voting in favor of corporate interests and against working families. Szoka has repeatedly blocked Medicaid expansion and voted to eliminate the Earned Income Tax Credit in North Carolina. He voted in favor of H4, which slashed unemployment benefits and caused 70,000 North Carolinians to lose access. Szoka recently defended his re-open bills by saying, “I’m not sure we should put the medical community in charge of our economy.”
HOW DO I REGISTER TO VOTE?
North Carolinians who have a signature on file with the DMV can register or update their voter registration online. Voters can also register or update their voter registration at any early voting site in their county during early voting (Oct. 15-31) and then immediately cast their ballot. More info is available at www.youcanvote.org/getregistered. Voters without internet access and those with more questions can call 1-888-OUR-VOTE.
HOW DO I REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT?
Any registered voter can Vote by Mail in North Carolina by requesting an absentee ballot – no excuse is needed. Voters do not lose anything by requesting an absentee ballot; they may still choose to vote in person and simply destroy their absentee ballot.
Absentee ballots are now being mailed to those who request them. You can now track your ballot at northcarolina.ballottrax.net.
Voters can now request an absentee ballot online through the State Board of Elections Absentee Ballot Request Portal at votebymail.ncsbe.gov. Those without internet access can still submit a paper absentee ballot request to their county board of elections.
Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the board of elections by 3 days after the election. Absentee ballots may also be returned in person to the county board of elections or any early voting site by a voter or a voter’s near relative (spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, or stepchild).
For more info, send voter to www.youcanvote.org/vote-by-mail. Voters without internet access and those with more questions can call 1-888-OUR-VOTE.
WHEN CAN I VOTE IN NORTH CAROLINA?
Early Voting: Oct. 15-31
Voters can register/ update their registration and vote the same day during Early Voting (but not on Election Day) at any early voting site in the county in which they are registered to vote. Early voting sites and times for Cumberland County can be found here.
Election Day: Nov. 3
HOW DO LOOK UP MY CURRENT REGISTRATION STATUS/POLLING LOCATION?
NC voters can look up their current registration status and find their polling location at the following link or by Googling “Am I registered to vote in NC” https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup
WHICH DISTRICTS AM I IN?
Most folks don’t know which districts they live in or who represents them, and it doesn’t help that many districts, including NC-H45, were redrawn after the last election. If voters are confused or would like to look up their current district(s)/ rep(s), they can do so here using their address: https://www.ncleg.gov/FindYourLegislators
RESOURCES FOR HELP WITH ISSUES RELATED TO COVID-19
Dial 2-1-1 to reach NC’s information hotline and talk with a specialist.