2021 Impact Report

Our state’s democratic structures and policies are a national model, ensuring voter freedoms and fair representation for every North Carolinian, especially Black, Latine, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Indigenous, and low-wealth communities who have been targets of voter suppression.

We empower existing and emerging community activists, leaders, coalitions, and partners to work together and strategically build power and expand voter participation across the state.

We believe that true democracy is possible and worth the work.

Learn about our 2021 impact across North Carolina below!

2021 Impact Report

Learn more about our 2021 statewide impact.

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We stalled all attacks on voter freedoms in North Carolina.

State legislatures across the country introduced over 400 anti-voter bills, nearly a dozen of which were introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly. All of these bills were successfully defeated thanks to the hard work of our staff and volunteers.

We stopped voter suppression and defended the right to protest.

Our state already had laws on the books to address property damage. House Bill 805, touted as a check on civil disobedience, was actually a backlash against the Black Lives Matter movement. Had it been implemented, hundreds of protesters would have been subject to felony charges and lost their right to vote. This legislation was a clear attack on the people of North Carolina and the racial justice movement.

We coordinated 500+ election advocates across 25 counties.

Through the Elections Advocacy program, advocates across the state were trained to serve as resident watchdogs of county boards and the State Board of Elections. They attended public hearings, submitted online petitions, and made critical public comments in the redistricting process. Democracy NC formally advocated for state funding of the county boards of elections in predominantly vulnerable regions of the state.

We distributed 120,000+ voter guides and resources to the public.

Our regional voter guides were delivered across the state to inform voters about which candidates, initiatives, and potential outcomes would affect them most in their local elections.

We recruited 21 young leaders from across the state.

In Democracy Summer’s 22nd year, we trained the next generation of North Carolina’s leaders. Students across the state’s community colleges, HBCUs, and universities advocated against voter disenfranchisement in their communities and educated the public on issues that affected their daily lives.

We collaborated with 150+ organizations across North Carolina.

Together, we pushed for a better redistricting process, advocating for legislators to center public participation and transparency. We issued clear demands to the General Assembly about conducting a community districting process that was fair, transparent, and accessible to the public.

We mobilized 10,000+ advocates to take action in 2021.

Our skilled Regional Managing Organizers engaged advocates in five regions across the state to contact their lawmakers, give public testimony, monitor Boards of Elections, and much more to protect democracy in 2021.