The Democracy Program at the Institute for Southern Studies provides research, analysis, and educational tools to promote a stronger democracy. Through the program, the Institute monitors key democracy issues, reports on democracy trends in the Institute's online magazine Facing South, and collaborates with partners, with a special focus on North Carolina. For more information, contact Benjamin Barber, Democracy Program coordinator, at ben@southernstudies.org.
RESOURCES AND REPORTS
Issue Backgrounder: Independence of Boards of Elections in North Carolina (2023)
Issue Backgrounder: Youth Voting Access in North Carolina (2023)
Issue Backgrounder: Early Voting and Same-Day Registration in North Carolina (2023)
Report: Blueprint for a Stronger Democracy (North Carolina, 2023)
Report: Blueprint for a Stronger Democracy (North Carolina, 2021)
DEMOCRACY DISPATCHES IN FACING SOUTH
Southern states at serious risk of election subversion (5/25)
South Carolina gerrymandering case could further erode the Voting Rights Act (5/25)
N.C. Supreme Court sets up tight timeline to implement voter ID (5/12)
Why felony disenfranchisement is a public safety problem (5/12)
Gene Nichol on North Carolina's lessons for America's democracy struggle (5/11)
Behind the GOP plan to block the youth vote (4/27/23)
State voter roll protection alliance comes under far-right attack (3/30/23)
Pro-democracy 'blueprint' guides key voting bills in North Carolina (3/30/23)
Census corrections show how Southern communities benefit from prisons (2/24/23)
North Carolina advocates offer detailed blueprint to strengthen democracy (2/16/23)
Southern legislatures undermine democracy through rules changes (2/8/23)
Criminalizing voters in Southern states (1/27/23)
Georgia officials consider changes to Georgia's runoff election system (1/12/23)
Companies break promises to stop funding Trump coup backers (1/11/23)
MEDIA COVERAGE
North Carolina advocates share blueprint for a stronger democracy (Carolina Public Press 4/25/23)
Interview with Melissa Price Kromm of N.C. Voters for Clean Elections (NC NewsLine 3/27/23)
Groups rally in Raleigh urging NC lawmakers to strengthen democracy (CBS17 2/26/23)
New report lays out vision for democracy reform in North Carolina (NC NewsLine 6/9/21)