Burn Book for Sept. 17, 2014

We bristled at Bob Hall of Democracy North Carolina’s assertion that the state had “a miserable record of voter participation.” We care, damnit!

Hall went on to credit same-day registration for recent mitigation of this misery, and it looks like he might have a point. North Carolina underperformed the national turnout average by as many as 10 percentage points from 1972 until 2004, when it matched it. By 2008, North Carolina voters had five points on the national average.

“Miserable” is harsh, but it’s appropriate as a reminder of lingering systemic disenfranchisement.

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A recent political spot from Senate Leader Phil Berger brags about the 2013 passage of a law that will require voters to show a photo ID at the polls.

“Now, thanks to Phil Berger, voters must show a valid photo ID to vote,” a voice-over in the ad says.

But the North Carolina NAACP has filed a complaint over the ad, claiming it could depress voter turnout by spreading misinformation.

The law won’t go into effect until 2016’s election, meaning those without IDs may still vote in November’s election. Berger’s campaign may call this a minor distinction, but the ad is misleading and should be pulled.

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Expecting people to work without pay is like hoping for no line at a CCI printer on the day your midterm is due.

So when Ryan Darge, the program and finance director for SafeWalk, promised the group would continue providing its services despite being shut off from its spigot of Student Congress money, our eyebrows were raised.

We’re questioning students’ commitment to walking their studious colleagues home at 2 a.m. without getting their $8 per hour. 

We’re cynical. But we’d love to see SafeWalk continue. Here’s looking at you, walkers.