Statement on elimination of Sunday voting
Sunday voting has long served as a vital access point for Black voters in North Carolina, especially through “Souls to the Polls” traditions led by our churches, communities and civic organizations. For many working families, Sunday provides the only real opportunity to cast a ballot without sacrificing wages or family responsibilities. Stripping away this option disproportionately impacts Black voters and reflects the same discriminatory pattern that the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recognized in 2016. In North Carolina State Conference of NAACP v. McCrory, the court found that state officials had intentionally eliminated Sunday voting because it was used disproportionately by Black voters, calling this evidence “as close to a smoking gun as we are likely to see” of racial discrimination in voting restrictions.
The decision gives county boards the option, but in many rural counties, Sunday voting is the largest challenge that often gets elevated to the state board. We must also remind voters of the monster voter ID law, where these very restrictions were first introduced and ultimately defeated in court. This new board may need an orientation to these challenges if its goal is to continue undermining the will of voters.
CJ Brinson, faith organizer for Advance Carolina, stated:
“It pains me to see yet another lever used to deny justice to those whom Howard Thurman describes as ‘having their backs against the wall.’ When we consider the long history of denying Black people the most basic rights – liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness — the elimination of Sunday voting shows that leaders in North Carolina are still not interested in liberation or repair.
If society were truly serious about democracy, there would actually be no barrier to any person who wants to cast a ballot. Even as I grieve this decision, I hold fast to the vision of a Beloved Community where we will all be free”.
While we acknowledge the NCBOE’s decision not to comply with the Trump administration’s request for North Carolina voter data — which could have further politicized our elections — this step cannot overshadow the damage caused by rolling back Sunday voting access.
Our democracy should be about removing barriers, not creating new ones. Every eligible voter deserves fair and equitable access to the ballot box. Early voting days have already been reduced, and eliminating Sunday voting compounds the harm by leaving fewer opportunities for voters to cast their ballots.
Now is not the time to remain silent. We call on local county boards of elections to preserve Sunday early voting in their election plans and on all North Carolinians to join us in demanding that voting remain accessible to every community.