- Just ahead on "Black Issues Forum", local elections are right around the corner.

And the same questions always come up.

Who do we vote for?

Today we take a step back to break down the definitions of local and state offices, the political structure of North Carolina, and the importance of local elections and municipalities.

Stay with us.

- [Narrator] Black Issues Forum is a production of PBS North Carolina with support from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

Quality public television is made possible through the financial contributions of viewers like you who invite you to join them in supporting PBS NC.

[upbeat music] ♪ - Welcome to Black Issues Forum.

I'm Kenia Thompson.

Time after time, state residents are urged to go vote, that our vote counts and makes a difference.

But what happens when we don't know what we're really voting for?

Today, we've invited our guests from the North Carolina Black Alliance to take us to class and to educate us on the various roles within state government positions that we may not realize are important to vote on, and the true impact of our civic responsibility.

We welcome to the show North Carolina Black Alliance Director Marcus Bass and program director Jovita Lee, welcome to the show.

- Good morning.

Thanks for having us.

- Thank you for having us.

- Of course.

This is a great conversation to have and there's a lot to unpack, so we're gonna have a lot of education happening in this block.

But Marcus, let's go ahead and start with sharing the work that the two of you do at North Carolina Black Alliance, and why is it significant, particularly now?

- Yes, so Kenia, again, thanks for having us.

For the past 30 years, the North Carolina Black Alliance has worked as a convener of leaders from across various segments of our community, not just an elected office where our historical membership has grown now, beyond that, to appointed officials in government, organizational, faith positions, at our campuses.

We even worked with leaders in community groups to engage them in the political process at the ballot and on the block.

I think a lot of times folks really look at the democratic participation as just that one Tuesday when we go vote, but in reality, 365 days a year, we have to be following the process.

We also work particularly in rural parts of our state to bring the political process closer to the people, the things that happen in Raleigh every single day that impact residents from all 100 counties, and work to make that connection real across the the state, across the year.

- Yeah, and it's important, it's important work.

Jovita, when we talk about democracy, what does that mean?

Let's define democracy because we hear this a lot.

It sounds nice, but what goes into true democracy?

- Yeah, absolutely.

And so if you think about the technical definition of democracy, it's actually the system of government.

And so when you see a state or a nation that has some sort of participatory government where you're voting for elected officials, that would be deemed a democracy.

However, when you think about the true definition of democracy as a system, it needs to be something that is of, by, and for the people.

That's the bottom line.

And so people should always retain the power when it comes to decision making that directly impacts who they are and their livelihood.

And so that process itself should be equitable.

So when we're thinking about what we're seeing today with current democracy, democracy legislation, or, you know, that wants to strip same day legislation or registration, excuse me, or now having voter ID in the mix, these are all different barriers to the ballot box that we are continuously facing just to have a fair and equitable process.

And so real democracy is making sure that everybody can pass their ballot fairly and not have any blocks to be able to get there.

- And thank you for that work, making sure that people can have fair avenues to get there.

So this is the part of the show where I wanna just break down as many key seats, government roles that exist within our state, and likely most states.

So I wanna start with the lower tiers, right?

And work our way up.

So this will be between you and Marcus, Jovita, so feel free to tag team this, but we'll start off with Marcus.

Let's talk about local offices like school boards, mayor, and all of that.

Just break it down for us.

- Perfect question, Kenia.

And I think starting at the local level is important because this year, 2023, is a municipal election year.

A lot of people get caught up in the presidential election.

You won't see a president before you see a mayor, before you see a councilman or a town commissioner.

And in these races, and a lot of cases, they impact millions of dollars.

When we talk about the American Rescue Plan, when we talk about the Inflation Reduction Act, these are dollars to the tune of billions that are trickling down in community.

And our local government officials, our mayors, or even our school boards or the key decision makers, these individuals, they are not experts in government.

They're regular citizens from every walk of life that want to be a representative.

And at the local level, we found that in precincts, votes can, three or more can shift these local elections.

And so the power of the vote is more salient at the local level than it is at any level of the ballot.

I think also when you talk about local elections, the county commissioners, North Carolina, as I stated earlier, has 100 counties.

A lot of these counties, even though they may be in rural parts of the state, still handle millions of dollars.

When we talk about our rural schools and the difference between education and certain parts of the state, it's these decision makers that talk about the facilities that help us build structures in our state.

Water.

Roads.

And these conditions are oftentimes determined by individuals that have vested interest at the local level that may not always rest in the people.

Corporations.

We hear a lot about corporations working with these local municipalities to help meet the need for some of these areas that don't have all of the tax base that some of the bigger areas have.

And this situation, you know, we need to make sure that voters, particularly individuals in these underserved rural communities, know the power that these local elections have.

- Yeah.

I wanna butt in real quick, define municipalities.

Maybe Jovita can take this one.

What does that mean for those that may be confused?

- Yeah, so when you're thinking about a municipal election, you're thinking about the elections that are gonna take place in a town, in a city, in a county.

So those elections that are closest to the people, that would be considered a municipal election.

And so kind of to Marcus's point, the critical nature of those elections is insurmountable, because when you're thinking about the decisions that directly impact you, like for example, we have been focused on our state budget, which is what it is, but there's also the local budgets that are gonna directly impact your actual living and current condition in the area that you reside.

And so just kind of wanting to reiterate the critical nature of municipal or local elections you can use interchangeably.

- So who makes those decisions on the local budget?

And so there's again, you said a state budget and a local budget.

Are those the same political leaders making those decisions or are they different?

- So on a local level, - Oh, go ahead.

- Go ahead.

I'm sorry.

- I should have directed the question.

So that's my fault.

So maybe Marcus first and then Jovita can tag team the answer.

- All right, so first let's be clear.

Regardless of federal or local elections, it is still the same dollar, your dollar that is going into the tax base.

At the federal level, you pay taxes, at the state level, you pay taxes, and at the local level, you pay taxes.

And one of the main things that these municipal level, these local offices are able to do is decide how those dollars are being spent.

From a very basic level, you may not know all of the issues in community, but you know that your investment into the state by virtue of you paying taxes, sales tax, property tax, all of these things add up to what we consider the state budget, the federal budget, the local budget, and the decision makers that we're able to elect one time a year, we're able to hold them accountable during that period.

But we also should be asking 'em questions about how they're making a sound investment with our dollars even before we get to the polls.

- Okay.

Jovita, anything to add there?

- Yeah, no, I think Marcus is spot on.

When you're thinking about your county commission or your town or city council that is going to be responsible for adopting your local budget, that's why's so critical to engage in the local meetings.

So your town council meetings, your city council meetings, your county commissioner meetings, because those are the conversations you wanna be a part of because they are revealing exactly what they're gonna prioritize year after year.

And so if you're not engaged in those conversations, they may be utilizing your dollars for something that you don't align with.

- Right.

So let's break down some of that basic level.

You've talked about commissioners, city council.

So what are some of those additional roles that we will see on that ballot that we will be voting for come November?

Marcus?

- I think the most critical race coming into 2024 are judicial races.

You won't see them on the municipal level ballot.

And oftentimes they're overlooked when we talk about congressional races, when we talk about the governor's race.

But in reality, the judges, our superior court judges, our district court judges, they are the first line of defense.

When we talk about criminal justice reform, when we look at the incidences of violence and community police violence and community violence, it's oftentimes the judges that make the final decision.

And in this case, judges are over rural areas that can determine who carries out judicial affairs in that area.

There's oftentimes local level races like the Clerk of Court or the Register of Deeds.

Here in Roy County, we just found our Register of Deeds is working through the government to determine which of these historical communities still have policies that are on the books that are determining whether Black people can live there.

These generational loan clauses that oftentimes seem trivial are still definitively in our policies at a local level.

And so that one office alone, the Register of Deeds office has a lot of power, in unearthing the lack of diversity, equity, inclusion historically, and making those corrections.

Now, even though it may not seem like 2024, you know, we're being hindered by some of those historical ordinances.

But when we talk about housing issues and some of the systemic issues across the state in regards to where people live and where we have access to live, some of these ordinances are being evolved into policies that may seem race blind on the face, but in our actuality, if we're not looking at a local level, we'll be harmed by some invisible racism hidden in these special local spots.

And so I think the Register of Deeds, the Clerk of Court, these are all races again, that are not gonna be highly popular.

They're not gonna be in the media, but they're going to address a lot more than what meets the eye when we talk about those important races.

- Hmm.

Jovita, how long do people who hold these seats sit in them?

Like if we're not actively voting, is it easy for them to continue in that role year after year, term after term, and continue some of these same systemic issues that Marcus was explaining to us?

- I mean, yeah, depending on the seat, of course there's some seats depending on the level that are limited to two terms, but then there's some appointments that can be lifelong.

And so it just really just depends on engagement level, and it's really critically important to follow the flow each and every election.

That's why we're, oh, go ahead.

- No, I was gonna say, just to pause you right there.

So what are some of those seats that are lifelong so that we know who are we electing in lifelong seats?

- So a lot of the judicial appointments can actually be lifelong appointments.

So when you're thinking about who's actually representing me in court, who's actually making those legal decisions, that can be a position that someone can hold essentially indefinitely, not just on the state level, but when you think of the federal level as well, we have literally witnessed judges die out of their role.

And so thinking about, you know, "Oh, well, is it really that important for me to engage or is it really that important for me to follow along?"

Absolutely.

Because you can see the same faces year after year, literally your entire lifespan, and not have any shift, not have any change.

And if there's somebody that is consistently spewing out bad decisions or they're not aligning with your values, then you could be stuck in a cycle for literally your entire life.

- Wow.

- To Jovita's point, we've seen elected officials in office in their 80s, individuals just as recent as our congressional departed member, Diane Feinstein, died in office at a very ripe old age.

We're dealing with presidential candidates that will be, in some cases, 84 years old by their final term in office.

When we think about what it means to have a older form of democracy, a 350 year old guidebook in the Constitution, it has to be informed by individuals from every spectrum.

And I think what we're seeing, not just in the judicial space, where our state Supreme Court recently increased the age limit to 76, so now they can run for an additional four years and continue to run until they've aged out.

And they're increasing those age limits.

It is hindering the ability for individuals that are younger, not just millennials or Generation Z, but just everyday individuals that are recently retiring and want to engage in the political process.

They can't because the stats show us that the majority of individuals at a congressional level, at a judicial level, and a legislative level are going well into their past their prime in these elected offices.

And what that means when we talk about the new age solutions that we need to bring about in our country, it takes both young and old working together, but sometimes there's a gap in that process.

And we have to figure out how to get a younger electorate engaged, not just in voting, but in running for office.

And we have to make it easier for them to understand what that means.

In a lot of cases, our elected leaders aren't paid a lot of money, but these are full-time positions when you talk about the number of months that the general assembly spends in office or even at a county level.

And so sometimes there are barriers to access for elected officials, even beyond just age.

- Right.

So you may have mentioned it, and this can go to Jovita when we talk about some of these seats that are constant.

Judges and, but what are some seats that we overlook each election season that we really should be paying attention to?

And you may have already called them out, but I wanna be very clear about what those seats are.

- Yeah.

So I think Marcus named a couple.

So when you think about Register of Deeds, when you think about Clerk of Court, but also other positions such as Soil and Water Conservation.

So when you thinking about water quality, that is a huge issue here in the state of North Carolina, a humongous issue.

We are thinking about water contamination.

We've had extensive conversation around what does PFAS contamination look like?

What does lead contamination look like in our water?

And so folks that are making decisions about those really local regulations around what we're gonna do with remediation with our water, what we're gonna do with soil, that's a position that is on the ballot that doesn't get a lot of attention because some folks may not even know that it exists.

So definitely, again, focusing in on what do these roles do and how do they impact?

I think there's a hyper focus on state level races.

So everyone kind of knows the functionality of the governor, generally knows the functionality of the House and Senate, but it's really these positions like Soil or Water, Register of Deeds, Clerk of Court, that can really make or break a lot of the everyday decisions of your life that you wouldn't think of otherwise.

- Yeah.

So Marcus, let's go back to what you were saying about bringing in some of the younger folks.

So let's say we do have viewers who are of the younger generation or you know, someone who, like you said, who's about to retire and wants to enter into the political arena.

How do you start or initiate that run for a local seat?

Is it easy, is it difficult?

Where do they start?

- It is varying ways that you can get on this pathway to politics.

First and foremost, you have to know what issues you care about and what level of government impacts that issue the most.

You can care deeply about public schools and think that you wanna run for city council, but in some cases, our city government has very little to do with education.

It's actually the Board of Elections.

If you're worried about the curriculum and instruction aspect, if you're worried about the quality of the actual brick and mortar in your county, then your county boards really help decide how much money in the investment in our county infrastructures including schools.

And I think in this case, you can look at any issue that you care about and line it up to which level of elected office has the most impact.

And I think for individuals that are just kinda looking at the process that have been leaders in other community spaces or leaders at work, and they think that they have something to offer to government, I would first address the most local issue that you care about.

And then start at the local level.

Go to your board of education meeting, go to your city council meeting, pick up a book called Robert's Rules of Order, that helps you learn the ins and outs of political commentary to figure out how to make a motion to see actually how power is enacted.

It's not just a checkbook that is pulled out with tax dollars on it and written.

There is a process.

And sometimes even when folks get into office with their passion or with their issue, they get tripped up on certain things like parliamentary procedure or the historical ordinances in our communities.

And so I think the very first place to look is within yourself, look within your community, see what needs to be changed the most, where you think you can make that change.

And then participate in all of these open spaces where these governmental officials are meeting.

Anyone can go to a school board meeting, anyone can go to even a legislative meeting.

Anyone can drive up to Washington DC and sit in the Gallery of Congress and see government being enacted.

Also, you can watch TV.

There are plenty of different shows that break down what's happening, but it's nothing like watching live engagement of these individuals to really demystify how easy it is or how less of a barrier it is in regards to knowledge base or education.

It's really about passion.

It's really about knowing what level of government you wanna engage in and jumping out there.

- Yeah.

Jovita, are there any local state resources that can help guide in addition to what Marcus has offered?

- Yeah, absolutely.

There's actual organizations that are literally crafted to train you up to run.

So you don't have to start from ground zero when you're thinking about, "I really wanna take advantage of an elected seat, I just don't know where to start.

I don't know what my plan is."

Because that's a critical piece.

To kind of expand on what Marcus said, yes, you absolutely need to have your community buy-in, identify what the gap is, but then also make a plan.

Make sure that you have really thought out exactly what you wanna do, and then get into office the best you can with that plan and activate it.

So there's actual organizations that will train you on how do you develop that plan?

What does it mean when you're thinking about your cost analysis?

'Cause it's not free.

So do you have the funding?

Do you have the support?

Will you have the capacity to actually consider this office?

Who do you need to have on your team as support?

Because you can't do it alone.

So you need to have a team that you can trust, folks that can truly back you and really support your mission and your values and your goals and keep you accountable.

Because that's one thing when you're thinking about elected office, it's really easy to get elected and then lose all sense of accountability.

And so you really want folks around you that can really hold your feet to the fire and be like, "This is what your platform, this is what you said to the people that you were gonna do.

So let's make sure that you see it through."

- And there are groups such as Lillian's List, there are organizations like Lead and See, Brighter Futures.

These organizations run for something.

These organizations will train you how to run for office, how to prepare a speech, how to set up a campaign, how to make sure your campaign is financially compliant, how to find individuals that can create your website or create your mail pieces, and these opportunities to really get in and train help make candidates better.

You just can't come out of the blue and run for office, even though it may seem like it.

And in some cases you can.

You have to be prepared.

You have to practice and get your reps up.

And those organizations we found have been very influential in building candidate strength across the state.

- Great information.

Thank you for you for sharing that.

So we've broken down a lot, so I wanna now talk about where we actually stand.

There are so many pivotal decisions that hang in the balance, that risk getting lost in the shuffle of things.

And it's so important to know where we stand as a state.

So Marcus, coming back to you, where are we now as a state politically?

Are there open seats or changing seats that we should be aware of when we go vote?

- Well, Kenia, this is Black Issues Forum, and so I'm gonna make it plain for your viewers.

North Carolina has lost a significant number of Black legislators.

These are our state senators and State House members over the past decade.

It is interesting to note that this current general assembly is the first Republican-led general assembly in over 100 years.

And so what we found in the 10 years that they have taken control of our state is that ironically, noticeably east of I95, when you're heading out down east, you'll find that where 1/3 of Black residents live, the divide and the displacement of Black elected officials is the greatest.

We've seen individuals from every level of government being removed from office, not just because individuals aren't voting, but because they're changing the rules around how these individuals are able to be elected.

We can talk about redistricting later on, but this political divestment is not just about apathetic Black male voters.

It's because of an intentional erasure of districts once protected by the Voting Rights Act.

Street by street, lawmakers are able to determine who votes for them.

And especially after the horrendous dismantling of our state's policies around voting, these folks don't want to go back home and be accountable for their actions.

So instead, they're cutting out districts for themselves and they're carving up these Black communities to make sure that not just Black voters, but Latinx voters, indigenous voters, Asian American Pacific Islander voters, all these voters are marginalized by them changing the rules and limiting who's able to get in office.

They're able to pick who's gonna win before you even cast a ballot.

And I think that is one of the biggest concerns that we see at a state level and at a local level.

We're seeing individuals after they're getting into office, they're being unceremoniously removed.

We have Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls, who right now is being embattled around her own viewpoints around the harassment that she's faced on a court level.

We're talking about the state Supreme Court.

And so these races and these implications are really gonna carry out in the 2024.

And they've impacted our community greatly.

- So I, there's just a few minutes left.

I know this just felt like it went by in such a flash.

Jovita, I know you wanted to talk about voter ID.

So let's give you a minute and a half here to talk about the importance of understanding voter ID.

- Yeah, absolutely.

So as folks know, unfortunately, we have reached a point where we are required to have voter ID for this election that we're currently in and then moving forward.

And so just a few quick facts about voter ID.

And so again, you will be required to have a voter ID in this year's municipal election.

And then of course, moving forward, if you do not have a voter ID, you can access a no fee ID card, which is located at your North Carolina DMV.

If you do not have an acceptable ID, you can still cast your ballot with an ID exception form, but unfortunately it will be a provisional ballot.

And so I just wanna make sure that folks do know that it will not be, the entire ballot will be provisional.

And then of course, if you're gonna vote by mail, you'll need to include a photocopy of said ID in your actual envelope where you're going to send your ballot back.

And then of course, if you cannot send an ID, then you will have to complete that same ID exception form and send it back along with your provisional ballot.

So it still will be provisional even if you vote by mail.

And so I just wanna make sure that folks are aware of those items and just knowledgeable about the fact that it started today.

It started now, it's not a, I know when it came out, a lot of folks had the misconception, "Oh, we'll deal with this in 2024."

No, we're dealing with it right now.

It was immediately enacted.

- A lot to dissect.

Hopefully our viewers were well educated.

I think I was.

There's a lot that I didn't know, a lot that I did know, but it's always good to have a refresher, even if you did.

And like you said, Marcus, these are some pivotal times to see representation for us in this political space.

So Marcus Bass, Jovita Lee, thank you so much for being on the show, and we hope to invite you back again to do a little more deep diving.

- Thank you, Kenia.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

We invite you to engage with us on Instagram using the hashtag #BlackIssuesForum.

You can also find our full episodes on pbsc.org/blackissuesforum and on the PBS video app.

Thanks for watching.

I'm Kenia Thompson.

I'll see you next time.

[upbeat music] - [Narrator] Black Issues Forum is a production of PBS North Carolina with support from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

Quality public television is made possible through the financial contributions of viewers like you who invite you to join them in supporting PBS NC.