I am vitally concerned about the state of democracy (little d) in this country, and particularly in North Carolina. I can’t recall a time when I felt that the right to vote, and that each vote counts, was in such jeopardy.

Two of my former Congressional representatives withdrew from office due to gerrymandering when their districts were redrawn in previous decades. I’m wondering how long it will take before you completely block me from voting. That’s a particular concern since I’m registered as an Independent. This type of governing builds a distrust of how our government works and whether it is done in the public interest or for partisan gain.

We went through this in the last round, and the gerrymandering was thrown out. I’m not sure what will happen this time. The process has not been transparent, which increases my concern about what goes on behind closed doors. The public has not been informed. I thought this process only occurred every ten years. Why now?

The demographics of seniors in North Carolina is growing rapidly. In 2020 the number of people over 65 grew to 1.8 million, representing 17% of the population. We are a varied group split by race, gender, education, and income. People talk about retiring to the country, but the five counties of Wake, Mecklenburg, Guilford, Buncombe, and New Hanover have the highest concentrations of seniors. I’m not sure that you even consider us in drawing districts even though the census data is available.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.