North Carolina

Advance North Carolina (“Advance Carolina”) is a Black-led organization that builds political and economic power in Black communities and institutions across the state, getting voters involved in inclusive, ground-up political and societal solutions. With deep connections in the communities it serves, Advance Carolina provides leadership opportunities for youth, people of color, and women, and conducts political advocacy, including endorsing candidates and supporting issue-based campaigns. 

Recent Achievements

In the face of North Carolina’s rightward swing, Advance Carolina has worked in 2022 and 2023 to counter voter suppression and shore up democracy. With the support of Flip the Vote, Advance Carolina:

• Registered formerly incarcerated North Carolinians after their voting rights were restored by a 2022 court case  

• Coordinated hundreds of volunteers to build relationships with tens of thousands of Democrats considered unlikely to vote, helping them see how their vote matters

• Energized women, faith-based communities, rural voters, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities – groups that heavily favor Democrats when they turn out to vote

Advance Carolina’s outreach efforts have helped to elect 28 of its endorsed candidates, from sheriffs to state legislators.

What makes North Carolina crucial in 2024

By any measure, flipping North Carolina blue is essential to Democratic power nationally and requires long-view investing and organizing. The stakes are high:

• North Carolina will be one of the crucial tipping point states for the presidency; Trump took the state by just 1.3% in 2020

• North Carolina has two competitive U.S. House seats that will help determine control of the U.S. Congress 

• Democratic Governor Roy Cooper will be termed out, and electing a Democrat to fill the open seat will be imperative to preventing a GOP trifecta 

• State house elections are crucial to reversing the current Republican supermajority, which can override the governor’s veto 

• Building up the Democratic electorate in 2024 will be important for elections in 2026 and 2028, when North Carolina’s two Republican U.S. Senators are up for re-election in what are likely to be two of the most flippable races
  

What Flip the Vote’s support means for 2024

In 2022 and 2023, Flip the Vote’s investment enabled Advance Carolina to double its get-out-the-vote hubs across the state, from four to eight. With additional support, Advance Carolina will be able to expand even further into new counties, particularly those housing Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Flip the Vote’s investment provides resources to hire staff for these new hubs, enlist more volunteers, and create educational events for the community. All of this translates into more engaged and informed citizens, less voter intimidation, more power around local issues, and more votes for key local and national elections where marginal increases in turnout can make all the difference.