The United Methodist Church affirms the right to vote for all adult citizens as a basic human right. Advocating for free and fair elections is a critical part of our response to this affirmation.  As state legislatures, including our own in the North Carolina, prepare to review census data and draw congressional district maps, it is important to speak up and speak out for maps that provide just and equal representation for all citizens. For United Methodists, this is a non-partisan issue grounded in our belief that every person is created in the image of God and is therefore of equal standing in society.

Learn more about the United Methodist Church's support of free and fair elections here.

What can I do?

Act Now!

The preliminary work on drawing district maps has already begun. Find a way to have your voice heard as this process moves forward.

Attend a Public Hearing

The North Carolina General Assembly is hosting a series of public hearings to receive input as district lines are being considered. Unfortunately, there are only 10 such hearings spread out across our large state; the closest one to Raleigh is in Durham (September 15). Here's the complete schedule:

• September 8: Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, 6:00 p.m. You can find more details and register to speak in advance if you plan to attend this hearing (advance registration is only available for the Caldwell public hearing at this point).
• September 14: Forsyth Technical Community College, 4:00 p.m. AND Elizabeth City State University, 5:00 p.m.
• September 15: Durham Technical Community College, 6:00 p.m. AND Nash Community College, 5:00 p.m.
• September 16: Alamance Community College, 5:00 p.m. AND Pitt Community College, 3:00 p.m.
• September 21: Western Carolina University, 5:00 p.m.
• September 22: Central Piedmont Community College, 3:00 p.m.
• September 23: Mitchell Community College (Iredell County Campus), 3:00 p.m.
• September 28: UNC-Pembroke, 4:00 p.m.
• September 29: UNC-Wilmington, 5:00 p.m.
• September 30: Fayetteville Technical Community College, 6:00 p.m.

Speak Up

In addition to public hearings, the General Assembly has an online public portal for receiving comments from the general public about redistricting. This can be another way to have your voice heard! Advocate for maps that provide votes fairly to all citizens of North Carolina, without consideration of race or background.

Contact State Senators and Representatives

Let your elected officials in the General Assembly know the importance of fair voting maps for all citizens of North Carolina.

Stay Informed

The General Assembly's information about the redistricting process can be found here.

Highland's Micah 6:8 Team is working to stay current on this process and how to advocate for just, fair redistricting. Contact team chair Joe Burton for additional information.