April 11, 2024

We received the following message and wanted to share it with you:

The NCSBE has moved up the determination of locations and hours of each county's Early Voting sites for the General Election to May 7! (This is two months earlier than usual.) 

It is important for all individuals and groups to advocate NOW for Sunday voting hours (12-3pm) in Chatham County.  The decision is likely to be made at the regular Chatham County Board of Elections meeting on Tuesday, April 16 at 5:30pm.  If the Chatham Board's decision is not unanimous, the issue will go to the NC State Board of Elections for a final decision.  

Emails in support of Sunday voting hours can be sent to the Director of the Chatham County Board of Elections at

      pandora.paschal@chathamcountync.gov

Onward,

Roz and Jon

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February 28, 2024

This will be a statewide online training, co-hosted by Common Cause NC, Democracy NC, and Southern Coalition for Social Justice. If you haven't already, please register to receive the meeting's Zoom link.

The second event will be at the Chatham County Library (and online) on March 12, 2024. See the posted above.

Thanks for all you do to support democracy and justice!

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February 15, 2024

Early Primary Voting Has Started!

If you'd like to learn more about the candidates, especially those down-ballot, with whom you might not be so familiar, you can go to this League of Women Voters' nonpartisan website, enter your address, learn about the candidates, and even print a "cheat sheet" with your choices to take with you to the polls:

https://www.vote411.org/

Thanks for voting!

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December 12, 2023

Sunday afternoon voting enables people whose work schedules or family responsibilities make voting at other times difficult.  Even if you personally do not plan to vote on Sunday, you can support this option for others in our community. 

Here is the link to make a comment: Early Voting Plans Public Comment Form (office.com)

The State Board will make a final decision on December 19, so comments should be sent by Monday, December 18 - and preferably as soon as possible.  

UPDATE December 19, 2023

Wonderful news to share / Yesterday (December 18, 2023), at a special meeting of the Chatham County Board of Elections, the Board voted unanimously to include one Sunday (Feb. 25) in the early voting schedule for the March primary.  Because the decision was unanimous, the State Board did not need to consider the issue.

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November 27, 2023

We know you're being bombarded with donation requests at this time of year.  If you'd like to include some regional or local organizations in your holiday giving, we would like to suggest the following progressive groups that have been working to promote voting and democratic participation, especially among underrepresented communities:

1) New Rural Project  was recently featured in the New York Times and is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that engages young and marginalized residents in rural communities to amplify their voices through increased civic and electoral engagement. NRP is focused on seven North Carolina counties that are some of the most economically distressed in the state, with higher-than-average unemployment rates and declining populations.  

Donate here:  https://secure.everyaction.com/5stg_LPBFUWlOPQKU-PgOQ2

2) Common Cause North Carolina has been at the forefront of voting rights advocacy for a long time and has taken successful legal action in gerrymandering cases.

Donate here:  https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/common-cause-north-carolina?_ga=2.145193398.303815143.1701041362-803495095.1701041362

3) The New North Carolina Project’s mission is to make politics represent the needs of North Carolinians by investing in communities of color, expanding the engaged electorate.

Donate here:  https://secure.actblue.com/donate/nncpwebsite

4) Southern Coalition for Social Justice fights for voter access and redistricting reform, as well as environmental justice and justice system reform.

Donate here:  https://southerncoalition.org/donate/

5) Carolina Forward communicates and promotes the values, ideas and policies of North Carolina's center-left.  They specialize in research and polling to target key areas for action.

Donate here:  https://secure.actblue.com/donate/carolina-forward?refcode=web&amount=25&recurring=1

We know that there are many other great organizations that promote voting justice, including some that are faith-based, and we are not suggesting that the groups listed above are more worthy than others.  Our short list is simply intended to call your attention to some groups with which you may not be familiar and to remind you about a couple of well-known groups that are doing great work. 

We wish you a joyous and fulfilling holiday season,

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October 25, 2023

As we're sure you know, redistricting has gone predictably badly in our state.  We may be directly affected in Chatham County, as Robert Rieves's seat could be in jeopardy.  Although we're discouraged, now more than ever, we need to do what we can to get out the vote.  Here are two actions you can take right now:

1) The Chatham County Board of Elections is conducting a survey on whether to allow Sunday voting.  Some local churches and other organizations encourage their members to vote on Sunday.  You can support their efforts by completing the survey:

 https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=KGiLNiPyXEiRl5AYcRrZG_C2pbzesKVJhV-ZKxrkBhBUN0MwMDZPVzM5N0g1MERLR0NDUlYwSUhYUS4u

2) Some municipalities will be holding elections on November 7.  If you or someone you know lives in one of these municipalities and plans to vote by mail, you need to request a ballot by October 31.  Ballots can be requested online at:

https://votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home?emci=adcda5d0-c471-ee11-b004-00224832eb73&emdi=87402c3d-8a73-ee11-b004-00224832eb73&ceid=58846

Thank you for taking action!

Onward,

Roz and Jon

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October 04, 2023

We're passing along some valuable information from You Can Vote.  The online portal for comments on legislative redistricting has opened but may not remain open long.  New maps will reportedly be introduced next week, so please make your voices heard.

You can submit comments here:

https://www.ncleg.gov/RequestForComments/45?emci=c3d97ea9-d562-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&emdi=a111d94c-d862-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&ceid=1271094

You can also check out this excellent guide to talking points:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oy8VSiKntTx7OjNID0WexJ5VGrcqAazd/view?emci=c3d97ea9-d562-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&emdi=a111d94c-d862-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&ceid=1271094&pli=1

Thanks for taking action!

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September 21, 2023

We wanted to share this message from All on the Line about two trainings (first one is tomorrow) for taking action on the upcoming redistricting process in NC that is likely to undo the current fair maps and replace them with new, gerrymandered ones.

You can sign up at:  https://www.allontheline.org/takeaction

Redistricting season is upon us (again). In news overshadowed by the contentious and opaque state budget process, The North Carolina General Assembly redistricting committee has scheduled three public hearings for next week, ahead of a redraw of the state’s legislative and congressional voting maps. All On The Line is hosting a rapid response public testimony training tomorrow (Friday) at noon on Zoom to help folks prepare to make comments at the hearing and share other opportunities to make your voice heard if you can’t make it to a hearing in person.

There will be a coalition virtual public testimony training on Sunday, 9/24 at 3pm as well.

How We Got Here

In 2022, the Supreme Court of North Carolina issued a landmark ruling in Harper v. Hall, finding that North Carolinians have a constitutional right to vote in districts where everyone’s vote has substantially equal power. 

But after Republicans took the majority on the Supreme Court in November, the new Court reheard the case (despite no new evidence or change in the law) and overturned the  earlier decision. The new ruling means that all three state voting maps (US House, NC Senate and NC House) will be redrawn this year by the legislature. The Court has signaled that it will not be a check on partisan gerrymandering. Watch AOTL NC’s debrief of this decision here. (Passcode: a*!^*^6i)

Thanks for taking action,

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June 28, 2023

Although we are happy about the recent Supreme Court decision limiting legislative power grabs, we still have work to do in NC.  As our new state Supreme Court overturned the previous court's decision on voting rights, we urgently need to help voters get Photo IDs and get registered to vote.  We are sharing the following information from Carolina Jews for Justice about actions you can take:

Help Voters get Photo IDs!

Voters need Photo IDs starting this year and Vote Riders (www.voteriders.org) is ramping up their work in NC. They provide information about the new (and confusing) rules and offer free 1:1 assistance in obtaining a state-issued ID or driver’s license, including paying the costs of documents, and providing free transportation to and from the DMV and SSA offices. 

Two options for volunteers:  write letters to NC voters, explaining the new photo ID law and how to access Vote Riders assistance, or get trained to work one-on-one with NC voters (virtually or in-person). Training available online at volunteer intranet site (https://www.mobilize.us/voteriders/?event_type=11) or email volunteer@voteriders.org for more information about live trainings. (The next training is on July 11). 

It’s always time for voter registration! Learn the facts and rules, then volunteer once or keep coming back. Your choice!

Volunteer with You Can Vote in some parts of the state at community events, high schools, and more. You Can Vote provides a one-hour Volunteer Empowerment Training about their approach and to ensure that all volunteers are up to date with registration facts and rules! Click here (https://www.youcanvote.org/events) to register for virtual or in person training and to find Voter Registration events near you. 

Help combat the voter purge! 

Volunteer for "Combatting the Voter Purge!" with the New Rural Project https://www.newruralproject.org/ .  Join a weekly Thursday evening phonebank to reach out to the 7,000+ rural voters in their target counties who have been removed from the NC voting rolls.  Help to ensure they know they have been purged and to give them information on how to re-register to vote. 

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May 31, 2023

Hope you're having a good Memorial Day (in spite of the rain)! The NC People's Power Coalition, made up of numerous progressive groups throughout the state, is holding a rally on May 31 to protest the right-wing agenda being passed by our state legislature.  Here is the website:

https://ncpeoplespower.org/?emci=feb2ce08-39fe-ed11-907c-00224832eb73&emdi=6d790106-53fe-ed11-907c-00224832eb73&ceid=4110321

Neighbors on Call is organizing carpools from Chapel Hill, meeting at Mardi Gras Bowling on Farrington Road and Rte. 54 at 4:40 p.m.

Hope you can participate!

Onward,

Roz and Jon

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May 4, 2023

We are sharing an important message from Pro-Choice North Carolina:

The North Carolina House just passed a dangerous and reckless abortion ban (SB20), less than 24 hours after it was introduced. While we had been expecting an anti-abortion bill, we did not know it would be this extensive in restricting access, nor that it would be rammed through in such an undemocratic and secretive manner.

As you may know, there are many terrible provisions in this bill, beyond the 12-week ban. It is a nearly 50-page bill that wasn’t available until around 11:00 pm Wednesday night. We are still analyzing everything in this bill with our partners, but some provisions we want to call your attention to include:

• While there are "exceptions" written into this 12-week ban, any abortions provided after 12 weeks will have to be done in a hospital, which will negatively impact patients and providers in terms of availability of care. 

  • As we have seen here and in other states, "exceptions" often don't work in practice. It's confusing for both patients and providers, particularly when laws are written broadly or vaguely. Many patients are denied care until it is either too late or they are in dire emergencies. This ban will be no different. 

• Medication abortion is banned after 10 weeks.

  • It is currently available in North Carolina up to 11 weeks. 

• There would be 3 required in-person visits for an abortion, including medication abortion: 1 visit for patient consent (currently done via phone), 1 visit for the appointment (72 hours after the first visit) and one visit post-procedure. This will be a significant barrier for many who have to travel long distances for care.

• The bill requires the NC Medical Commission to rewrite regulations on clinics by October 1st. These types of regulations have been used in other states by anti-abortion lawmakers to close clinics. 

There is a lot more in this bill, including previous abortion bans that we already defeated in past sessions. Anti-abortion lawmakers were never going to be satisfied with anything other than a complete ban, and this bill is their next step to making abortion even more inaccessible, even if it is still technically legal.

While the House vote today was disappointing, but expected, we are still fighting! The next step is to contact your state Senator by 9:45am this morning before their 10am session where they will vote on SB20. 

You can find your state Senator here. Sample script for emails and calls:  

“My name is ___________, I live in City, and I am a constituent of Name of legislator. I am calling today to urge Name of legislator to protect reproductive rights and abortion access in North Carolina and to oppose the monster abortion ban that was just introduced and rammed through the House with little notice or public input. I need you to stop this bill in the Senate!

Abortion care is part of reproductive health care and maternal care, and it should be treated as such. Politicians have no business inserting themselves into healthcare decisions. We have seen chaos erupt in other states where bans have been enacted, and we don’t want that to happen here. I oppose this new monster abortion ban and I hope Name of legislator will vote against it.” 

And…this fight is not over! If you can, join us to witness the Senate vote tomorrow, Thursday, May 4th. We will be gathering at the NCGA (16 W Jones Street, Raleigh) at 9:30am to get seats in the Senate gallery. 

If you can’t join us in Raleigh, you know what to do—keep calling, keep sending emails, and ask your friends and family to also take action. We are the majority in this state, and our voices will be heard! 

Onward,

Roz and Jon

http://www.carolinajewsforjustice.org/

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April 24, 2023

Moral Monday 10-Year Anniversary

Many of us participated in the inspiring Moral Mondays in Raleigh.  We are now at a pivotal moment in North Carolina politics, as our legislature has a veto-proof majority and is likely to enact legislation that will hurt women and other minorities in our state and to reinstate anti-democratic gerrymandering.  If you want to show your continued support for the Moral Monday movement, you may want to attend the recommitment rally on April 24.

(You can contact the hosts at: northcarolina@poorpeoplescampaign.org)

If you need a ride or can offer a ride, please reply to this email, and we'll try to organize carpools.

March 14, 2023

The previous NC Supreme Court finally mandated an end to gerrymandering in our state.  Now, the new Court is likely to reverse that decision. A coalition of pro-democracy advocacy groups will be holding a rally at the State Capitol on March 14 at 11:00 a.m. to demand fair voting districts.  A local group, Neighbors on Call, is organizing carpooling from Mardi Gras Bowling on Rte. 54 and Farrington Road in Chapel Hill, departing at 10:00 a.m.  If you'd like to join them, RSVP at: https://secure.everyaction.com/FlQXcDaeU0yCIa7v9MTdgw2

See the poster above.

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March 16 and March 23, 2023

We wanted to call your attention to two upcoming opportunities to learn more about how to work with the state legislature:

1.  "Legislative Advocacy 201": A Zoom training sponsored by a coalition of large advocacy organizations on March 16 at noon.  Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsfuuvrDkqE9RehE3zq8_DkGMc7LwKz1Ks?link_id=7&can_id=c94e128257dbd30f8c3779abb92e7d49&source=email-next-weeks-events-with-common-cause-nc&email_referrer=email_1842298&email_subject=see-next-weeks-events-with-common-cause-nc

2. "Insider's Guide to the NCGA":  A hybrid training (either in person at the Chatham County Library or on Zoom) sponsored by Neighbors on Call on March 23 at 7:00 p.m.  Register here: https://www.neighborsoncall.org/events?emci=03267f53-9bbf-ed11-a8e0-00224832e811&emdi=af4a20a2-9fbf-ed11-a8e0-00224832e811&ceid=4110321

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February 21, 2023

____________________

Some of you may be interested in attending this event virtually or in person:

The Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Blueprint NC, and Common Cause NC invite you to attend a lunch and learn community event next week on Combating Wrongful Voter Purges.   

Join us at Noon, Tuesday, February 28, to learn about voter list maintenance, best practices for North Carolina, and how to spot and take action against wrongful voter purges. We will also share brand new data and strategies for those engaged in GOTV and community advocacy who want to ensure eligible voters in North Carolina can become – and remain – registered.     

When a state or county conducts a program to systematically remove people from its list of registered voters, this is called “voter list maintenance.” This can be done properly, but it can also lead politicians and political operatives to aggressively remove voters as a strategy to suppress the vote.  

The challenge to combating wrongful purges is that many residents do not find out they were purged from the voter rolls until they are trying to cast their ballot. At that point, it can be too late to fix the problem.  

Don’t let it get that far! Please join us for this important community event.   

Register here to attend in person.  

Register here to attend virtually.  

There is an in-person and virtual option for this event, with Spanish interpretation available for both. Join us in person at the South Meeting Room at South Regional Library, 4505 S. Alston Avenue, Durham, NC 27713. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.  

Have questions? Email melissa@scsj.org.   

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February 10, 2023

We haven't been in touch for a while but are getting back to sharing information that might be of interest to you.

First, you can sign up for an "Advocacy Day for Reproductive Freedom" on February 22, 2023 in Raleigh. Sign Up HERE.

Second, although we don't usually share requests for monetary donations, we thought you might want to support Common Cause NC in their legal fight at the State Supreme Court to prevent the overturning of fair maps:

In an extreme departure from precedent, the North Carolina Supreme Court announced it will rehear our landmark case against gerrymandering after Republican legislators petitioned for a different outcome following the election of new justices, which flipped the court to a Republican majority.

The news comes just a year after we won a historic victory for the people of North Carolina when the state Supreme Court ruled in February 2022 that gerrymandering violates our constitutional rights.

Sadly, partisan legislators led by Republican House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger refuse to accept that decision or respect our rights. Once again, these politicians are trying to overturn that ruling and steal power away from the people of North Carolina.

Now, we’re going back to our state’s Supreme Court to stop gerrymandering. We’ll fight with everything we have to protect the freedoms of all North Carolinians against these latest partisan attacks.

We and our excellent legal team are ready to defend our democracy. But we need your help.

Please consider making an emergency donation to Common Cause North Carolina today as we prepare for the critical legal battle ahead.

Thanks for all you do to support justice in our region!

Happy Valentine's Day!

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December 3, 2022

We hope you are having a good holiday season!

The case of Moore v. Harper, which originated in North Carolina, will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court next week.  The case has been called the most important one ever for the survival of our democracy.  If you'd like to lend your voice to the movement to protect democracy, you can attend a rally in Raleigh--and go to Washington if you are able.  Here are the details:

An NC team is going to the U.S. Supreme Court next week for our case of Moore v. Harper to defend our victory against gerrymandering and to stop the radical power grab by North Carolina politicians.

Before leaving for D.C., Common Cause invites you to join them in Raleigh on Tuesday (Dec. 6, 2022) at 11:15 a.m. on Bicentennial Plaza for our People Over Politics rally and press conference across the street from the state legislature (see map).

Common Cause and their democracy partners, along with North Carolinians from around the state, will be there to stand up for everyone's freedom to vote. We'll speak out against the dangerous attempt by extreme legislators trying to take control over federal elections in our state.

If you are interested in taking the bus to Washington as part of a North Carolina delegation, you can sign up here:

https://act.commoncause.org/ticketed_events/hands-off-my-vote-moore-v-harper-bus-from-north-carolina-to-washington-dc?link_id=5&can_id=c2c266b19826724f39f9d16ed8a55eac&source=email-join-us-in-raleigh-for-our-peoplle-over-politics-rally&email_referrer=email_1756330&email_subject=join-us-in-raleigh-for-our-people-over-politics-rally

In solidarity,  Roz and Jon

______________________________________

Prior Announcements

October 2022

Once again, we recommend the League of Women Voters' nonpartisan guide with all you need to know how to vote in the midterm election:

2022 Midterm Election Online Nonpartisan Voter Guide:  VOTE411.org

The League of Women Voters of North Carolina announces the availability of VOTE411.org for the 2022 Midterm Election.  The League’s nonpartisan online election resource offers voters a “one-stop shop” for all things election related as they prepare to cast their ballots.  Early voting runs from Thursday, October 20 to Saturday, November 5.  Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2022.

VOTE411.org is a comprehensive resource on voting information where citizens can learn about the policy positions of candidates on their ballot, get detailed instructions on registering to vote, find an early voting location, confirm their election day polling place, and take the guesswork out of the absentee-by-mail

Early voting in North Carolina starts on Thursday, October 20, 2022 Through 3:00 PM on Saturday, November 5, 2022 - which means the time is now to take two critical actions:

1. Sign up to be a poll worker or vote protector.  Power the polls is tracking which counties need poll workers and will connect you if there is a need in your area. Democracy NC is training vote protectors to ensure that every eligible voter in our state is able to register to vote and successfully cast their ballot. Both of these roles are essential to ensuring safe, accessible elections for all - please register to be a poll worker or vote protector if you are able.

2. Get out the vote. Join AOTL NC’s upcoming week of action Sept. 19-25 to help educate voters and make sure the people in your network understand the stakes and have a plan to vote - and vote the full ballot - this fall. Every vote matters, and every one of us can make a difference in this election!

According to this recent NBC poll, democracy issues are top of mind for voters. While this is good news, there is too much at stake to take anything for granted. Sign up for one (or more!) of our Week of Action events below to get involved, and watch this space for more opportunities to make a difference. 

Letter to the Editor workshop 

Monday 9/19 @ Noon

All On The Line NC’s goal is to  make sure every voter in North Carolina knows what’s at stake in this  year’s election and why it’s so important to vote in every race. One way we  can do that is by publishing Letters to the Editor (LTEs) in news outlets from the mountains to the coast. Join us Monday at noon for a LTE writing workshop. This meeting will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers. 

Fair Districts On The Line Postcard Launch

Tuesday 9/20 @6pm 

Most voters don’t pay close attention to the redistricting process and may not know how close they came to being gerrymandered into districts where their votes would have less power than others. That’s why we’re launching our Fair Districts Are On The Line postcard campaign. Volunteers will sign up to send postcards to voters in Guilford County with information about their new congressional district and why their votes are so critical to the continued fight for fair districts in North Carolina. Join this call to learn more about this campaign and how to request postcards for yourself or your organization - then grab some friends and throw a postcard party!

Personal Network Outreach Training

Wednesday 9/21 @6pm

The most effective thing you can do in this election is to communicate with your network about what’s on the ballot and make sure your friends and family have a plan to vote - and vote the full ticket - this fall. In this workshop, we’ll share content on how to tell the story of what’s at stake for Fair Districts in NC, brainstorm personal outreach tactics, and provide resources to help you educate and inform the people YOU are best positioned to reach. 

Volunteer Text Bank

Sunday 9/25 @2pm

Join All On The Line NC as we text  voters in target congressional districts to share information about the new voting maps, the stakes of the midterm elections, and how they can get involved in protecting our democracy.

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Call To Action

The NC Republican Party has asked the NC State Board of Elections for a Declaratory Ruling on their proposal to  authorize county boards of elections to scrutinize voter signatures on absentee ballot request forms and absentee ballot return envelopes to determine whether to count those ballots in North Carolina elections. This could overrule the authority of the NCSBE to require uniform ballot review methods across all counties so that all voters, regardless of residency, have an equal right to have their vote count. County board of election workers are not handwriting experts, and people’s signatures can change over time. This change has the potential to disenfranchise thousands of North Carolina voters and the NCSBE needs to hear from you!

A hearing is scheduled for July and then this will make its way through the courts – with the goal of this being implemented in time for the November midterms.

This is urgent – all public comments must be submitted by July 5th. We need thousands of North Carolina voters to push back on this proposed change using the NCSBE comment portal.

For more information please check out this post from the NC League of Women Voters.

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Vigil to remember victims of gun violence &

To insist on gun safety in our community

Initiated by Pittsboro Mayor Cindy Perry

7:00pm – 7:30pm Sunday, May 29, 2022 @ Alpha Center Parking Lot

697 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro (across 15-501 just north of Chatham Marketplace)

https://www.google.com/maps/search/Lot+697+Hillsboro+St.+Pittsboro?entry=gmail&source=g

Agenda

7:00 Karen Howard: welcome

7:05 Children speak

7:10 Song: Imagine

7:15 Reading of the names of towns and numbers dead in mass shootings

7:20 Sheila Fleming sings Calling All Angels

        [Lighting of the candles]

7:28 Karen Howard reads poem by Amanda Gorman

7:30 Pittsboro Mayor Cindy Perry: call to action