Our Foundation is working to bring more voices to the ballot box this November. Is yours one of them?

This year we embarked on a voter registration project, led by staff members Aiden Graham and Justin Oller, with an ambitious goal: to register 20,000 new voters for the 2014 general election.

How do you even begin to take on this challenge? First, you build strategic teams of canvassers who know the rules and regulations when it comes to encouraging people to register to vote. So far, we have teams in place in Raleigh, Winston-Salem, and Charlotte. Why these three regions? These parts of our state have some of the largest populations of unregistered voters. Therefore, our teams can maximize their efforts in reaching these potential voters.

Second, it’s all about education. There are a lot of reasons why people don’t vote. One of the main reasons is: they’re not registered! Due to the changes in state voter law, North Carolinians can no longer register and vote on the same day. For the November 4 election, voters must have their registration forms postmarked by Friday, October 10.

There’s a lot of confusion about who can register to vote and who can’t. So, who can? In order to register to vote in North Carolina, a person:

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must be a resident of the county, and prior to voting in an election, must have resided at his or her residential address for at least 30 days prior to the date of the election.
• Must be at least 18 years old or will be 18 by the date of the next general election.
• Must not be serving a sentence for a felony conviction (including probation or on parole). If previously convicted of a felony, the person’s citizenship rights must be restored. Citizenship and voting rights are automatically restored upon completion of the sentence. No special document is needed.
• Must rescind any previous registration in another county or state.

The next challenge is: even if someone is registered to vote, it can be difficult to actually cast a ballot. Some people feel that their vote doesn’t matter. This jaded sense of civic duty is pervasive among young and minority voters especially. Our Foundation’s canvassing teams are out to debunk that misconception. Too many people are choosing to not have their voices heard at all. What would happen if they took action?

So far, more than 4,000 North Carolinians have registered to vote as part of this project. To find out more information about voting in North Carolina, visit the It Matters NC project website and connect with the movement on social media. Remember: voting will help build a better future for generations of North Carolinians. Start laying down the foundation now. Get registered. Vote on November 4. Make your voice heard.