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On Wednesday, August 28th, The North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe, and Secure Elections will host the next town hall of the 2024 election cycle in Salisbury, NC. This event is part of a series that will feature dozens of events across the state to address public concerns around voting in North Carolina and to strengthen civil discourse.
This event will be hosted at Catawba College in the Tom Smith Auditorium at Ketner Hall from 6:30-8:00 PM. It will be moderated by the Politics Department Chair at Catawba College, Dr. Michael Bitzer. The event will also be available to view live for those not able to attend in person.
The panel will include Rowan County’s Elections Director, Sharon Main, as well as Board of Elections Member Kenneth “Ken” Stutts from Rowan County, Cyber Security Expert and Professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Dr. Stephen Tate, and Election Law Expert Bob Edmunds.
"We have found that when voters hear current information from their local election professionals, their confidence in our elections system increases” said Jennifer Roberts, co-lead of the North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe and Secure Elections.
In a time where elections remain contentious, Democrats and Republicans across North Carolina deserve to submit a vote of confidence in democracy. The Trusted Elections Tour, sponsored by the North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe and Secure Elections, the League of Women Voters of North Carolina and Veterans for All Voters, aims to provide information on the electoral process, build trust in our voting system, and build support for peaceful political engagement.
"The democratic principle of election by the people is the fundamental foundation on which our government and our democracy are built," said Bob Orr, co-lead of the North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe and Secure Elections. “Our election officials from Cullowhee to Carrboro, Morganton to Mocksville, and Raleigh to Roanoke all work relentlessly to make sure that our elections, so vital to American Democracy, proceed fairly, safely and securely.”
The 90-minute town halls will feature cybersecurity experts, election officials, and election law attorneys from both sides of the aisle. They will address public concerns about electronic voting machines and hacking, explain the secure process for collecting and counting votes, and advise on how challenges, recounts, and fraud allegations are dealt with through proper legal channels. All events are free, open to the public and media. For more information about the network and the tour schedule, visit https://nctrustedelections.org/.
The North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe, and Secure Elections is a bipartisan, grassroots effort initiated by The Carter Center. Led by former Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts and former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, the network is made up of civic, business, and religious leaders and citizens from both sides of the political aisle. Members will serve as community advocates for peaceful political engagement and trusted elections, and work to foster confidence in electoral processes and address disinformation.