North Carolina’s Union Movement

Labor racks up big wins for working families in N.C.

Together, the NC State AFL-CIO and Central Labor Councils supported a total of 102 endorsed candidates in the November 4th general election. Based on unofficial results, 85% of our candidates won their election.

We endorsed a total of 12 candidates running for federal office.

James Andrews with Barack Obama before a campaign rally in Greensboro earlier this year

At the top of the ticket, Barack Obama and Joe Biden won with 49.7% of the vote. It’s the first time since 1976 that our state voted Democratic for president.

Kay Hagan soundly defeated incumbent Elizabeth Dole to become the next U.S. Senator from North Carolina, winning by a 53% to 44% margin. Toward the end of the campaign, Dole and her big business allies attacked unions and Hagan repeatedly for her support of the Employee Free Choice Act.

Larry Kissell won a commanding 10-point victory over Robin Hayes to become the new Democratic Congressman in the 8th District. Kissell narrowly lost to Hayes by less than 400 votes in 2006. Kissell’s defeat of CAFTA sell-out, anti-worker, “liberals hate America” Robin Hayes is especially gratifying.

Kay Hagan at our 2008 Convention

G.K. Butterfield, Bob Etheridge, David Price, Mike McIntyre, Heath Shuler, Mel Watt, and Brad Miller each easily won re-election to the U.S. House.

Not including Barack Obama and Kay Hagan, we endorsed a total of 17 candidates standing for election statewide.

In the race for who will become Governor, endorsed candidate Lt. Governor Bev Perdue defeated Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory 50.2% to 46.9%. Perdue is the first female elected governor in North Carolina.

Our candidate for Lt. Governor, State Senator Walter Dalton won with 51% of the vote.

Beth Wood, our endorsed candidate for State Auditor, pulled off a stunning upset victory over Republican incumbent Leslie Merritt, winning 54% to 46%. Incidentally, Wood will be our state’s first female auditor.

Bev Perdue at our 2008 Convention

Janet Cowell won her race for State Treasurer by the same 54-46 margin, making her the first female elected to that position as well.

Wayne Goodwin defeated John Odom 52% to 45% to become the new Commissioner of Insurance.

Roy Cooper, Elaine Marshall, and June Atkinson each easily won re-election, and John C. Martin, Cheri Beasley, James Wynn, and Linda Stephens won their elections for the Court of Appeals.

In the race for Commissioner of Labor, our candidate, Mary Fant Donnan, narrowly lost to incumbent Cherie Berry 49.4% to 50.6%.

We endorsed 54 state legislative candidates, of which 89% won their election. We endorsed 19 candidates in local and district court races, of which 95% won their election.

Read the full list of results for our endorsements (PDF) .

Kay Hagan defeats Liddy Dole

We wanted to Turn Around America, and we did it!

Barack Obama is the next President of the United States.

Kay Hagan, a Democrat, will take the same seat in the U.S. Senate as Jesse Helms, having soundly defeating incumbent Elizabeth Dole.

This has been a historic night, indeed.

UPDATE: The Associated Press has called North Carolina for Barack Obama!  According to a canvass of remaining uncounted ballots, there are not enough cast for McCain / Palin to overcome Obama / Biden’s lead of 13,000 plus votes.

Thanks to all of our members, released staff, our allies, friends and families who worked so tirelessly to win for working families.

After an election about change and the need to Turn Around America, North Carolina is now on the right side of history.

What you need to know:

Time: Polls open at 6:30 am and close at 7:30 pm.

Place: Use the State Board of Election’s precinct locator to find your polling place.

Registration: You must be registered as of October 10, 2008 in order to vote. The best thing to do is check your registration before going to the polls.

Provisional Ballots: Under the law, voters must receive provisional ballots when their names do not appear on voting rosters when they go to vote. If that happens to you, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot! If a poll worker tries to turn you away, demand to cast a provisional ballot. Do not leave the polls without voting!

Stay in Line: We cannot stress this enough - STAY IN LINE! Expect record turnout and long lines, so be prepared to wait. If you’re in line at 7:30 pm, you have the right to cast a ballot, no matter how long the line ahead of you is.

The Weather: Forecasts predict rain in much of the state, today. Be prepared for precipitation by bringing a coat, poncho, or umbrella.

Clothing: Contrary to popular rumor, a voter who is wearing a political cap, T-shirt, or button and does not electioneer within the polling place will be allowed to vote in a normal matter.

Ballot Reminders: You have to vote for President separately. Voting for president should be the first thing you do when you receive your ballot. Straight-party-ticket voting DOES NOT INCLUDE PRESIDENT!

After you vote for president, you can vote a split ticket by:

1. Selecting the party as if you were voting a straight ticket and then selecting any candidate you wish to vote for of a different party; or
2. Not marking the party and selecting each candidate, one at a time, in each race you wish to vote for.

Judicial races are non-partisan and are thus excluded from a straight party ticket. They must be voted for separately!

Who to Call for Help: If you feel like you are mistreated when you vote, contact the national Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE, Democracy North Carolina at 1-888-OUR-VOTE or call the State Board of Elections at 1-866-522-4723.

First time voters benefit from a helping hand

Saturday, November 1st was the first day of our massive GOTV mobilization drive and the last day of one-stop same-day registration and early voting.

For two new voters in Wake County, union volunteers made the difference.

Courtney Willis (pictured above), age 18, had not registered to vote when Jeff Sciunas of the Letter Carriers union knocked on his door.

“I was happy union people came to pick me up so that I could vote for the first time,” Courtney said when we interviewed him for this story.

Elsewhere, Annette Farrington (pictured left), who is partially disabled, didn’t think she would be able to participate in this historic election. Thankfully, Zita Dixon of the Service Employees Union paid her a visit.

“I was glad when the people from the campaign came and got me to vote because I had never voted before.” Ms. Farrington told us. “I’m 47 years old, and I really enjoyed voting! I appreciate them coming to get me and returning me home safely.”

Jeff and Zita are two of many union members volunteering to go door-to-door and get out the vote in North Carolina.

With less than a half hour before the one-stop polls closed at 5:00 pm, both Mr. Willis and Ms. Farrington were able to register and vote for the first time ever only because two volunteers from the union knocked on their door and gave them a helping hand with a ride to the polls.

The union difference is more than a contract, better wages, and having a voice at work. It’s about empowering people to take an active role in their workplace, in their government and in their lives.

For Courtney Willis and Annette Farrington, in this election, the union made all the difference in the world.

Cliff Ayers of Eden, NC

Layoffs lead to new priorities for voters in N.C.

Media General News Service on Friday highlighted factory workers in small towns like Cleveland and Eden, NC who have to reconcile their politics with some new, unwelcome circumstances.

John Stewart was a proud Republican who voted for George W. Bush twice.

That was before the truck manufacturer he worked for, Freightliner, built a second plant in Mexico, and before Stewart and 1,500 other workers lost their jobs here in June.

“I understand the world needs trade,” Stewart said. “But when it costs us jobs going to China, Mexico, there’s nothing free or fair about that.”

There’s no denying it. Free trade agreements have hit North Carolina hard. Textile, furniture, and other manufacturing job losses have devastated communities and continue to do so. The pain is felt by Democrats and Republicans alike.

Clifford Ayers once had steady work on the line at the same rug plant in Eden. Though he still has a job, the plant has cut back on shifts, and he has not worked in three weeks.

Ayers, a self-described conservative Democrat, voted for Bush in 2004 largely because he identified with the Republican’s anti-abortion stance. This year, that issue has taken a back seat to the economy.

“I’m not foolish enough to believe that we wake up tomorrow and all these textile companies will come back. But we have to stop the bleeding,” said Lewis Dishmon, a local union leader.

Read the full story at Media General’s Washington Bureau web site.

1 p.m. deadline extended in some counties

Are you registered? Have you voted yet?

Today is the last day to register to vote and vote early in one-stop in North Carolina.

Same-day registration will not be available on November 4th. If you missed the deadline to register in order to vote on Election Day, today is your last chance to vote at all.

Polls open in most counties by 10 a.m. or earlier. Several counties have extended hours so check the list of one-stop locations for updated closing times where you live.

Vote today, volunteer tomorrow

For the first time since 1976, North Carolina is a battleground state in a presidential election, and we have a hotly contested U.S. Senate seat. Union members, community organizers, and anyone concerned about issues that affect working families will play a pivotal role in the outcome of the 2008 election.

After you’ve voted, you can still do more. Volunteer. Contact AFL-CIO State Political Director Carlos Carrillo at (919) 833-6678 or ccarrill@aflcio.org for information about volunteering.

Four days and counting down to Turn Around America! Can you think of anything scarier than forgetting to vote in this election?

Record turnout continues. As of yesterday, 2 million people have voted early in North Carolina. That’s more than half the number of all votes cast in 2004!

For the first time ever, North Carolina voters can register to vote and vote in just one-stop at early voting locations in every county.

Vote today and volunteer for GOTV on Nov. 4

Early voting ends Saturday, so there’s still time for you to exercise the franchise and free up time on Election Day to Get Out The Vote!

Contact AFL-CIO State Political Director Carlos Carrillo at (919) 833-6678 or ccarrill@aflcio.org for information about volunteering.

Sen. John McCain continues to trot out his favorite political prop and substitute for actually addressing the concerns of middle class voters - Samuel “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher.

It turns out at Wurzelbacher isn’t even a licensed plumber, makes far less than $250 thousand, and is a member of a non-union trade group that has endorsed John McCain.

We’d like to introduce you to some real, licensed and trained professional Plumber Joes:

• Joe “the Plumber” Vicena, UA Local 75
• Joe “the Plumber” Martinez, UA Local 3
• Joe “the Plumber” Tatum, UA Local 10
• Joe “the Plumber” Gutzwiller, UA Local 440

In a stunning dose of straight-talk to CNN, senior McCain campaign economic policy advisor Douglas Holtz-Eakin admits employer-based coverage is superior than anything you could buy for yourself with McCain’s $5,000 tax credit:

“What [workers] are getting from their employer is way better than what they could get with the credit.”

There’s more from the AFL-CIO Blog:

As Newsweek economics correspondent Jane Bryant Quinn points out, a $5,000 tax credit in the McCain plan falls far short of the cost to replace most workers’ employer-provided coverage, especially for older workers who could face annual premium costs of $12,000 or more.

Just yesterday we told readers about new reports that show McCain’s health plan would cost 608,559 North Carolina residents their coverage - leaving them to find individual insurance on the private market.

Would veto “in a New York minute”

Today, speaking to CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo, McCain made clear once again his anti-worker, anti-union outlook:

I will do everything in my power to block such legislation. And imagine, Sen. Obama and Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid pushing the union agenda, it would be very, very, very unfortunate.

From the AFL-CIO Blog:

Let’s see. Along with the freedom to form unions, what other “very, very, very unfortunate” items are on the “union agenda“?

There’s quality, affordable health care for all and we can’t forget good jobs with good wages.

Then there’s retirement security and quality public education and affordable higher education.

How about fair trade agreements that don’t ship U.S. jobs overseas and trade agreements that protect workers’ rights and the environment?

Who exactly does John McCain think will find this agenda so unfortunate?

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that as of Monday, October 27, 1.2 million voters have cast their ballots in North Carolina during One-Stop Early Voting.

Have you voted yet?

From now until Saturday, November 1, you can register to vote and cast your ballot to Turn Around America at one-stop voting locations across North Carolina.

The State Board of Elections has produced a complete list of One-Stop early voting locations in every county. Click here to download the list as a PDF.

Last week, NC AFL-CIO members of Change to Win protested outside the Republican Party office in High Point, NC. The group included our board member, Lewis Dishmon, President of UNITE HERE 294T, who spoke to WXII-12 news.

Watch the video.

This is our time! Please join us in our intensive GOTV efforts to move our 100,000 union members to the polls.

Today until Monday, Nov 3rd - Phone banks
Locations: Raleigh, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Charlotte, Asheville, Wilmington, Statesville, Dallas.

Saturday, Nov 1st - Walking for Change
Locations: Raleigh, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Charlotte, Wilmington, Asheville.

Tuesday, Nov 4th - Massive GOTV efforts
Locations: Raleigh, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Charlotte, Wilmington, Asheville.

For information re times and locations call Carlos Carrillo @ 919-833-6678 or email ccarrill@aflcio.org

Questions to ask yourself about McCain’s health plan

Do you know the truth about McCain’s health care plan?

Do you know that McCain’s plan will tax your healthcare benefits just like income?

Do you know that under the McCain plan, 608,559 North Carolina residents would lose employer-sponsored health insurance?

The web site Insurance Company Rules for All has startling answers to questions about what kind of health care system John McCain is proposing for America:

Two new reports from the Center for American Progress Action Fund and the Economic Policy Institute found that 608,559 North Carolina residents, 12.9% of people with employer-sponsored coverage, would lose their job-related health benefits under the McCain health care plan.

If your employer pays $12,000 a year for you to buy health insurance through work, not only would McCain’s health care plan make you pay income tax on that amount (in addition to the tax you pay on your actual income) - your employer’s payroll taxes will also go up.

Employers will be left with a choice: pay higher taxes or stop offering health insurance through work. Which do you think they’re going to choose?

When you no longer have group health insurance, try getting individual coverage if you have a pre-existing condition. It’s not going to happen because McCain’s plan leaves insurance companies free to deny coverage to people with any pre-existing condition.

Read the full North Carolina report (PDF) and compare the candidates health care plans.

One-Stop polls open until Nov. 1

From now until Saturday, November 1, you can register to vote and cast your ballot to Turn Around America at one-stop voting locations across North Carolina.

The State Board of Elections has produced a complete list of One-Stop early voting locations in every county.

Click here to download the list as a PDF.

Same-day registration

For the first time ever in a presidential election, North Carolinians can register to vote and vote at the same time. Same-day registration is only available during early voting.

Here’s what you need to know to register at One-Stop voting sites:

1. Go to a One-Stop early voting site
2. Fill out a voter registration card
3. Present a proof of ID

Appropriate ID includes a N.C. driver’s license, utility bill, government issued document with name and address (ex. passport, military ID), student ID with name and address, a bank statement or bank-issued credit card statement.

National AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka spoke the truth at the national Steelworkers convention earlier this summer, saying there’s only one bad reason to vote in this election - a candidate’s skin color.

With so much at stake for workers and working families, the American Federation of Government Employees isn’t taking anything for granted either.

Listen to the new radio ad that is now airing on stations nationwide. Read the transcript below:

“I’m a union member. My name is John Gage. I’m old enough to appreciate the union movement’s contributions to civil rights, and I’m white enough to pick up on the code words of prejudice.

“In this economic crisis, every American worker should be hopping mad. Working families have been left behind like never before. Gender bias, racism, they’re not free. They have a cost, because the real issues - Wall Street, health care, jobs, Iraq, gas prices, Social Security - have serious financial consequences for all of us.

“But I’m optimistic. As union members, as Americans, we will get beyond gender bias and racism and get down to the real issues. We built the middle class, and we’re not giving it up.

“There are a hundred good reasons for how you vote this year and only one bad reason - prejudice. Let’s talk about the real issues.” — John Gage, AFGE President

Senator’s contempt for murdered unionists in Columbia caught on video

At the final presidential debate, Sen. John McCain, a self-proclaimed free-trader, asked Sen. Barack Obama why he won’t support the Columbia “Free” Trade Agreement.

Sen. Obama responded, correctly, that there’s a history in Columbia of labor leaders being targeted for assassination without prosecution by the Columbian government.

McCain’s reaction to his opponent’s response is telling - he rolled his eyes. You have to see it to believe it (click the picture to watch the clip)

On September 18, 2008, the Smoky Mountain Times published this letter to the editor:

The most important presidential election of our time is approaching soon and the residents of North Carolina, and Swain County in particular, have a lot of issues to consider when deciding who they will support to lead our country.

A few things to consider are that since President Bush took office, we’ve lost more than 3 million good manufacturing jobs. Poverty has increased by 25 percent. The price of gas has increased from $1.50 to almost $4.00 a gallon and we are going broke as a nation financing, by borrowing from the Chinese, tax breaks for the wealthy that never should have been given and at the same time financing a war that never should have been started - a war that’s costing $10 billion a month.

Another huge issue is the fact that 47 million Americans are without health insurance. That is a national disgrace. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Table H1A-4, the numbers in North Carolina are even more startling. When George Bush took office in 2000 there were 1,191,000 North Carolinians without health insurance. During the next six years, when the Republicans controlled the White House, and both houses of Congress, that number rose to 1,585,000 hard working citizens of our state unable to afford health insurance. That is a whopping 52 percent increase in uninsured people in North Carolina alone! These statistics can be verified at www.census.gov. A vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin is a vote for more of the same.

What is the Republican response to this national disgrace? John McCain and Sarah Palin want to make those of us fortunate enough to have employer-provided health coverage to pay income tax on those benefits. They want to cut back employer-provided health care, leaving workers to fend for themselves in the private insurance market.

McCain has also tried to repeal the minimum wage and he continues to support tax breaks for Big Oil.

The choice is clear for ordinary working people. Unless you have done a whole lot better than I have in the last eight years, you should be ready for a change in Washington. That change can only come by supporting Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Mike Morris
Bryson City

Cherie Berry slashing fines for campaign cash

An investigation by the Charlotte Observer, also reported in the News & Observer, has uncovered special treatment for companies whose executives and managers donated to Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry’s campaign for re-election:

For Berry’s contributors, half of OSHA fines were reduced more than 70 percent. Reductions that large are far less common for most other companies, occurring in about 12 percent of inspections. –N&O, 10/9/2008

Perhaps the most important job of the Commissioner of Labor is enforcing OSHA regulations to protect workers who are injured on the job by punishing employers that break the law. Under Cherie Berry’s leadership, companies cited for multiple and serious safety violations have had little to fear from fines - in exchange for campaign contributions:

HOUSE OF RAEFORD: Executives and managers of this poultry company have contributed $15,000 to Berry’s campaigns. Since 2001, N.C. OSHA has cited the company for more than 60 serious violations — some following chemical accidents that killed one worker and sent 17 others to the hospital. Inspectors proposed $117,000 in fines, but the fines were reduced to $26,500. –Charlotte Observer, 10/9/2008

The Observer investigation found that half of Commissioner Berry’s campaign receipts came from executives and managers at companies investigated by her since her tenure began in 2001. Berry is also taking PAC money from employer groups:

Berry has also raised $17,000 from political action committees, including the N.C. Home Builders Association and the N.C. Construction Industry PAC. Most of the PACS represent industries that are accustomed to Labor Department inspections. –Charlotte Observer, 10/9/2008

Bob Hall, Director of Democracy North Carolina, had this to say about the Observer’s findings of potential favoritism for contributors to Berry’s campaign:

“It raises questions about whether people think they’ll get special treatment — and may in fact get special treatment — because of their political contributions,” he said. “It’s something that should be examined and explained.” –Charlotte Observer, 10/9/2008

AFL-CIO report shows state’s fines among nation’s lowest

According to the latest edition of the AFL-CIO’s annual report Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, North Carolina ranked 47th in the average fines levied by states against employers that violate health and safety laws.

The average fine levied by Berry’s Labor Department in 2007 was $433, down from $529 in 2006.

“There is almost no consequence for employers who violate the law, even when workers are killed,” AFL-CIO Safety Director Peg Seminario said in reference to the Carolinas.

Responding to the AFL-CIO report, released last spring to coincide with Workers Memorial Day, Commissioner Berry told the News & Observer in April that “the AFL-CIO report will not alter her approach to workplace safety.”

Law to protect against retaliatory firings goes un enforced by Berry

North Carolina’s Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Act (REDA) makes it illegal for employers to fire or otherwise punish employees for filing workers’ compensation claims or for reporting unsafe working conditions.

REDA was passed after a fire at the Imperial Food Products plant in Hamlet, NC killed 25 workers in 1991 because the plant owner chained shut the exits.

Unlike most states, REDA provides for paid staff at DOL to investigate complaints of retaliation. The Employment Discrimination Bureau is charged with conducting these investigations, but its ability to do so has been curtailed by budget cuts of 25% under Berry’s leadership.

According to the results of an investigation conducted by the Charlotte Observer in September:

Of the roughly 800 people who file REDA complaints each year, about 1 percent get their jobs back. North Carolina has not taken a REDA case to court on behalf of a worker in seven years. And investigators sometimes dismiss cases without interviewing workers. –Charlotte Observer, 9/14/2008

That’s nine workers, on average, who get their jobs back - out of 800 complaints filed each year.

“I see retaliation every single day in the work force,” said Charlotte lawyer Mark Sumwalt, who has represented hundreds of clients who alleged retaliation after filing workers’ comp claims. “ … People get hurt and then fired the next day. It’s just that blatant.” –Charlotte Observer, 9/14/2008

Berry: Labor Commissioner is “partner to business”

The choice for who will lead the North Carolina Department of Labor for the next four years could come down to which philosophy voters think best describes what a Labor Commissioner should be - an enforcer of labor laws or a tool for business interests.

The News & Observer ran this story, which has each candidate for Labor Chief in their own words. Here is current Republican Commissioner of Labor, Cherie Berry:

“I have a proven record of success,” [Berry] said.

“[My approach] also helps businesses with their bottom line,” said Berry, who has been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Businesses. “And that’s critical, critical during these stressful economic times, to help our businesses be profitable in every way we can.”

“In the past, companies wouldn’t just pick up the phone and … say come out and help us,” [Berry] said. “But they do now. … And that’s so important.”

Here is Berry’s opponent, Democrat Mary Fant Donnan, about what North Carolinians should expect from their Commissioner of Labor:

“The position is about being balanced and focused on the best interests of the state and looking at both sides of that equation,” [Donnan] said.

“Folks go to work each day, and their families want to know that they’re coming home at the end of the day and they’re coming back intact,” Donnan said.

Voters in past elections have probably had this experience at least once: It’s Election Day, and you’re in the voting booth. You’re prepared to mark your ballot for President, Vice President, U.S. Senator, and Governor - but what about District Court Judge or Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor? Without any information on the candidates, you may choose not to vote in those races.

Newly registered voters or those who haven’t voted in years may face a different challenge. How can you know if your voter registration information is correct before you go to the polls? How do you know where to go vote?

Check voter information, view your sample ballot anytime, online!

The State Board of Elections is here to help. A new tool on the SBOE web site lets you review your registration information and even view a sample ballot tailored for where you live - all the way down to municipal races and district court judges.

You can print out your sample ballot, identify the Labor 2008 endorsed candidates, research candidates in non-endorsed races, and avoid ballot surprises on Election Day.

The tool also lets you see your voting history, at what address you are registered, and where your polling location is including driving directions and a Google map.

Important dates and deadlines

If you want to vote on Election Day, the last day to register to vote is October 10.

Otherwise, you can register to vote and immediately cast a ballot during the One-Stop Early Voting period, which begins October 16 and runs through November 1.

If you want to register in person during early voting, here’s what you need to know:

To use this process, a citizen must (1) go to a One-Stop Voting Site in the county of residence during the One Stop Absentee (Early) Voting period, (2) fill out a voter registration application, and (3) provide proof of residency by showing the elections official an appropriate form of identification with the citizen’s current name and current address.

Appropriate ID includes a state driver’s license, utility bill, government issued document with name and address, student ID with name and address, a bank statement or bank-issued credit card statement.

See How to Register and Vote at One-Stop Absentee (Early) Voting Sites for more information.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Polls open at 6:30 am and close at 7:30 pm.

Due to the intense interest in this year’s Presidential election and record new voter registration in North Carolina, expect long lines if you wait to vote on Election Day. One-Stop Early Voting is the best way to cast your ballot at your convenience and avoid the wait.

Download our flyer about things to do before election day, early voting, ballot reminders, and knowing your rights.

Ballot reminders

After voting for President and Vice President, you can vote for all candidates of one political party [straight ticket] by selecting that party.

You can vote a split ticket by:

1. Selecting the party as if you were voting a straight ticket and then selecting any candidate you wish to vote for of a different party; or
2. Not marking the party and selecting each candidate, one at a time, in each race you wish to vote for.

Judicial races are non-partisan and are thus excluded from a straight party ticket. They must be voted for separately!

Know your rights

Under the law, voters must receive provisional ballots when their names do not appear on voting rosters when they go to vote. If that happens to you, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot!

Contrary to popular rumor: a voter who is wearing a political cap, T-shirt, or button and does not electioneer within the polling place will be allowed to vote in a normal matter.

From the State Board of Elections:

A voter may enter a voting place to vote wearing political items as long as they proceed to vote in an orderly and timely manner, and do not attempt to electioneer within the voting place. A voter wearing a T-shirt saying “Vote for X” who shouts “vote for X” or places his T-shirt in the sight line of voters asking support for “X” is obviously electioneering and will be asked to refrain from the conduct at once, and if they continue will be removed.

A voter who is wearing a political cap, T-shirt, or button and does not electioneer within the polling place will be allowed to vote in a normal matter.

If you feel like you are mistreated when you vote, you can contact the national Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE, Democracy North Carolina at 1-888-OUR-VOTE or call the State Board of Elections (1-866-522-4723).