The voters are voting and Democratic enthusiasm is on the up and up. In a year when turnout could be the key to success, registered Democrats made up 43% of the over 133,000 North Carolinians who cast ballots on the first day of early voting…

Meanwhile, 45% of absentee ballot requests have come from registered Democrats, while only 24% have come from Republicans. This is especially telling from a voting method traditionally dominated by the GOP…

N&O:

This week, the NC Democratic Party launched the most robust voter protection effort ever for a mid-term election. The effort has three components:

Find the full suite of digital tools HERE.

NC Democrats believe voting should be safe and simple – and we’re fighting to ensure everyone can cast a ballot this fall.

A new ad from the North Carolina Democratic Party raises questions around Speaker Moore’s efforts to enrich himself and his friends at the expense of North Carolina’s public schools. The ad is part of a five-figure digital and television buy, and raises concerns about Moore’s various schemes including:

A friendly reminder that it’s illegal to take pictures of your ballot in the voting booth, something Rep. Chris Malone forgot on the first day of early vote tweeting a picture of his ballot with his name bubbled in…

When called on it, instead of admitting he messed up, Malone doubled-down claiming the picture was of a sample ballot taken in a private residence.

But, here’s the thing – sample ballots are clearly marked as sample ballots. Malone’s wasn’t. He later tripled-down with a picture of a different ballot – an actual sample ballot – that looked nothing like the first. Why should NC voters trust someone so content to lie?

Joining the ranks of this week’s shady Republican lawmakers is Representative Bill Brawley, who may have traded killing a controversial bill for the firing of someone he disliked, according to three top CMS officials. From the Charlotte Observer:

“School board Chair Mary McCray, Vice Chair Rhonda Cheek and Superintendent Clayton Wilcox said Tuesday that Brawley, a Republican lawmaker from Matthews, told them he’d withdraw House Bill 514 if Wilcox would fire Charles Jeter, a former Republican state representative who had alienated Brawley in his new role.”

“ ‘He poked his finger on the table and said, ‘This will all go away if you fire Charlie Jeter,’ ‘ said Cheek, a Republican.”

While Republican lawmakers continue to take advantage of their power, NC Democrats are running to put the people of North Carolina first.

The battle for the US House continues in North Carolina and Democratic candidates show no sign of wavering. With McCready, Manning, and Coleman all neck-in-neck with their respective challengers, it’s clear that Democratic enthusiasm and quality candidates have expanded the map into former GOP strongholds.

WRAL:

WRAL:

Democratic candidates from the mountains to the coast are united around putting North Carolinians, not special interests, first. On the top of their lists? Health care and education.

On health care and Medicaid expansion:

Rhonda Schandevel, HD 118: “This is for hardworking people in our district who fall through the cracks and can’t get insurance. Over 1,700 people just in Haywood County would be covered with the expansion to Medicaid.”

Michael Garrett, SD 27: “One of the first things we need to do when the new general assembly is sworn in is expand Medicaid…”If we expand Medicaid expansion we not only cover 500,000 people that are denied health care access right now, in the next four years we’ll also create 42,000 jobs.”

On education:

Michael Garrett, SD 27: “We are $10,000 below the national average for what we pay our teachers in North Carolina and that is shameful. There’s some things that we did like putting in some tax deductions for private jets and yachts, so we can reinvest those dollars and those resources.”

Leslie Cohen, HD 20: “If we fail at schools, we fail North Carolina. Not only do we need to prepare our children for success in a 21st-century economy, we need top-notch schools in order to attract and retain companies that will provide those jobs.”

Fox 8:

The Mountaineer:

Star News:

This week, a three-judge panel ruled that the GOP’s power-grabbing changes to the NC State Board of Elections were unconstitutional. The decision is a win for democracy – albeit a delayed one, with changes not taking place until after the midterms. And don’t forget – Republicans hope to circumvent the courts entirely with their deceptive constitutional amendment. That’s why voters must reject it this fall.

On constitutional amendments:

N&O:
“This [Voter ID] amendment is a farce. It doesn’t clearly state what it would do. It cheapens the state constitution with partisan politics. It’s an insult to anyone who values good government and voting rights. It should be defeated.”

N&O:
“Republican legislators say the [judicial appointment] constitutional amendment is needed to take the politics out of judicial appointments. Excuse us if we —and the former governors and chief justices — are skeptical of their motives. This constitutional amendment would make any flaws in the current system worse. It should be rejected.”

News & Record:
“One of the six proposed constitutional amendments on the November ballot would enshrine these changes by eliminating the ninth member and giving more appointment power to Republicans. This means Republicans want to give permanence to what is now unconstitutional. That should be an important consideration for voters on Nov. 6.”

Fayetteville Observer:
“The ballot question doesn’t note that this is grand larceny of an appointment process that has long belonged to the governor, nor that by creating a board of four Democrats and four Republicans, it guarantees tie votes that could render the board useless in resolving political disputes. It’s one more measure meant to give the Republican legislative majority free rein.”

Star News:
“They were pushed through with maximum speed and limited discussion. We need to slow down and reconsider everything at length. To us, the safest course for voters seems to be voting “No” on every single amendment.”

On the Republican supermajority…

N&O:
“We believe in two vibrant political parties and we’d like to endorse some of these Republicans. But this year, we cannot. We think it’s more important that voters elect enough Democrats so that some of Gov. Cooper’s vetoes can stand. That would force the Republicans to work with Democrats in passing legislation that has broad support. Republicans would have to work harder to pass legislation — but the laws would be better.”

On the state board of elections decision…

News & Record:
“The state elections board, charged with the administration of the voting process, has considerable power. It can approve early-voting sites that could affect election turnout. It also can assess campaign finance penalties and determine ethics law violations. As far as possible, it should be above partisan politics. But that’s not how this Republican-led state legislature rolls.”

Fayetteville Observer:
“This song has been sung so many times that every member of the General Assembly should have memorized the words by now. The lawmakers trying to steal the governor’s constitutional powers are out of bounds.”

Have a great weekend!

Robert Howard
@RobertWHoward

Sarah Flowers
@SarahFlowersNC