North Carolina

N.C. Democrats Rally for Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs After Opponent Jefferson Griffin Denies Her Win

Republicans are once again denying election results after a defeat, subverting democracy to try to hold onto power.

This November, abortion-rights voters in North Carolina hoped to reelect Supreme Court justice Allison Riggs. She ran against Republican Judge Jefferson Griffin, who ruled in a case in 2023 that life begins at conception. Griffin and other Republicans are fighting to have more than 60,000 ballots thrown out, hoping that challenging thousands of voter registrations will help him gain the Supreme Court seat.

‘Critical as We Move Forward’: Reproductive Rights and Voter Advocacy Leaders Reckon With 2024 Election

Dr. Lauren Beene was still processing the election outcome when she spoke with Ms. magazine the morning after Donald Trump had been declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election. Dr. Beene, co-founder and Vice President of Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, had successfully led the fight a year ago to pass an amendment that enshrined the right to abortion in the state’s constitution. Yet Dr. Beene now worried that under Trump, a national abortion ban may be in the not-so-distant future, and Ohio’s win to protect abortion rights could be in jeopardy.

What to Know About How Hurricanes and Voter Purges Are Affecting Early Voting

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In less than a month, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton have caused record storm surge and damage in multiple southeastern states, including Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. With Election Day just weeks away (and early voting starting much sooner), will the storms force voters away from the polls in the South?

Meanwhile, the hurricanes aren’t the only challenge facing would-be voters. Right now, voters in states from Texas to Ohio are facing the additional threat of racist voter purges. In the wake of Donald Trump’s baseless comments about migrants in Springfield, Ohio, third-party groups are attempting to challenge voter registration lists with unfounded claims that non-citizen immigrants are voting illegally.

In North Carolina, the U.S.’ Youngest Party Chair Has a Plan for Attracting Voters and Winning Elections in the Battleground State

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Elected at 25 years old in North Carolina, Anderson Clayton is the youngest chair of a state Democratic party. In February, Clayton ousted Bobbie Richardson—a woman 48 years her senior who was endorsed by the North Carolina Democratic establishment, including Gov. Roy Cooper.

Clayton’s strategy for revitalizing the Democratic Party in North Carolina—a battleground state in the upcoming 2024 elections—is to expand the party’s base by focusing on young voters and rural communities, which she believes the party has ignored for far too long.

(This article originally appears in the Fall 2023 issue of Ms. Join the Ms. community today and you’ll get the issue delivered straight to your mailbox!)

North Carolina Abortion Clinics on the Front Lines: The Ms. Q&A with Amber Gavin

Republicans in North Carolina enacted SB 20, which prohibits any licensed physician from performing abortions after the 12th week of pregnancy. Ms. spoke with Amber Gavin, vice president of advocacy and operations for A Woman’s Choice, about the impact of the ban, slated to take effect on July 1.

“North Carolina has been a crucial access point to care in the South because so many surrounding states have partial or complete abortion bans. I am fearful and sad about folks not having the access to make decisions that are best for their lives and their futures. It’s unconscionable to take away essential healthcare from our communities, to take away their choices and options.”

Federal Court Affirms North Carolina 20-Week Abortion Ban Is Unconstitutional

Since 1973, North Carolina law has banned abortion after 20 weeks with an exception for medical emergencies. Last week, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s decision striking down the law.

“Abortion is a right, and throughout pregnancy, a person’s health and well-being—not political agendas or interference—should guide important medical decisions.”

In North Carolina, Black Voters’ Mail-In Ballots Far More Likely to Be Rejected Than Any Other Race

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In North Carolina, Black Voters’ Mail-In Ballots Far More Likely to Be Rejected Than Any Other Race

According to a new analysis of 2018 mail-in absentee ballot data from the State Board of Elections, ballots mailed by Black voters during the midterms were more than twice as likely as those sent in by white voters to be rejected. This disparity—similar to gaps in other states—raises concerns about the equity of ballot counting and whether systemic racism and voter disenfranchisement may be tainting elections.

So far, 2020 shows a similar pattern.

There’s a Simple Solution to End Child Marriage in North Carolina

There's a Simple Solution to End Child Marriage in North Carolina

New studies by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) reveal the grim consequences of child marriage in the U.S., which occurs at particularly high rates in North Carolina. North Carolina is becoming a common destination for adults to take children when their marriage is illegal in their home states. Between 2000 and 2015, almost 9,000 minors were listed on marriage license applications in North Carolina.

But there’s a simple solution: Set the minimum age of marriage at 18, without exceptions.