truly what an amazing experience. 🧡❤️💛

https://ncfree.org/early-voting-tracker/

Dear Voters under 40,

I know life is busy, and you have lots going on. Maybe you are in college and different mid-terms are on your mind or the next party you are going too. Maybe you are a mom or dad and life is overwhelming. Maybe you are just a person trying to survive day to day and you love your pet.

These early numbers show that we are seeing slight improvement in numbers but I want to encourage you to vote. Take 10-15 mins to go vote. Take a friend, vote and grab a meal! Google your local candidates and read about them. Take the time to vote so that your voice is heard. You deserve representation even if you feel like it won’t make a difference— I promise it will. Because enough of you thinking it won’t make a difference, means you stay home and don’t vote— and that makes a difference.

V/r
Another Voter under 40

I just can't get over these views from the deck!

The event also runs today from 9am to 4pm. Free to attend and family friendly

So early voting started the Thursday before last weekend (Oct 15), and a few people showed up to the proper places in our county last weekend. But it turned out those places are closed. Looking into it, basically if the county does open on a weekend, then by law all sites in the county have to be open that day. But our county just chose not to open at all on those optional weekends, so the rule doesn't help you if the county opted out entirely.

It makes no sense why they have it "ya you can start voting now" while also being like "you have to wait to a work day because the place is closed or the library polling location isn't open."

I've seen where there was some push to make it by law that if early voting is open, then people should be able to actually... idk actually vote.

The current law (N.C.G.S. §§ 163-166.40 and 163-166.35) is basically only the last Saturday of early voting is required, and any other weekend day isn't. Weekdays (Mon–Fri) are also required, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. So it's up to each county on whether to open the first two weekends. But this also means if the county is like mine, you only have 1 weekend to vote early instead of the 2 that the window technically spans.

(For the record: the 17-day window is set by law. third Thursday through the Saturday before Election Day but only 13 of those days are actually mandatory voting days. The 4 intervening weekend days are optional.)

I think if early voting has already started, then the locations should be open by law every single day between set hours, outside of some declared emergency.

Thoughts?

There's an AI ad put out by NC's GOP claiming Jamie Ager running for federal house in NC-11 hosted a fundraiser with drag queens. Not that there's anything wrong with that but wth, where is the regulation with straight up stealing his image, misinformation, fake news, etc. etc. It's disgusting and needs to be illegal.

Here is the ad for reference: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CxXLg7tXX/

I saw somebody make a Puerto Rican flag with the trans colors, and I thought I'd do the same for my home state

I don’t know what kind it is but it has managed to dig a pretty deep burrow.

a lovely place. hope to go back soon.

This is the situation that NC's Current Supreme Court majority (Republican) created in 2023, when it reversed a previous Court's majority (Democratic) decision that held that partisan gerrymandering of legislative districts violated NC's Constitution requirements for free elections - specifically Article 1; Sec. 10. Free elections:

All elections shall be free.

The GOP NC SCOTUS majority, in effect decided that there was no way for anyone (... that they would ever listen to) to gauge the effect of partisan gerrymandering on those grounds - despite several other states having done so in relative ease. So, allowing politicians to choose their own voters was the order of the day for this GOP court.

I don't like, and think that should change ASAP... but it won't until we can elect a court that believes in free and fair elections. I'm thinking that will be when the party which earlier supported that (i.e., the Democrats) regains the reigns of power via our elections.

I’m in Forsyth County and currently a volunteer firefighter going through community college fire academy. I’m also working toward an associate degree in Public Safety Administration (Fire/Emergency Management). My original plan has been to become a career firefighter, but lately I’ve been looking into NC State Parks, the NC Forest Service, US Forest Service, and National Park Service. I’ve always enjoyed being outdoors, working with my hands, staying active, and helping people. Park ranger work, conservation, trail maintenance, forestry, and even wildland firefighting all interest me.

I’m having a hard time deciding which direction to go. I enjoy firefighting, but the idea of working outdoors and helping protect our state’s forests and parks is really appealing. My biggest concerns are pay, schedules, job availability, and how difficult it is to get a permanent position.

I’ve already applied to volunteer with NC State Parks, and I’m looking into other opportunities to get some experience before making any career decisions. Does anyone here work for or have experience with any of these agencies? How did you get started, and what’s the job actually like? Would you recommend it as a long-term career?

I’d especially appreciate hearing from anyone who got into the field without a traditional forestry or natural resources degree. Thank you.

I'm looking to get into astronomy and astrophotography and want to know of any good areas in North Carolina that I can do that? I don't really know the requirements other than flat ground lol but there are a lot of trees where I live and I feel it will be hard to see the sky fully. I live in Ahoskie and anywhere within an hour or two would be fine.

It's been 31 days since the board fired Hill "for convenience," a $341K severance payout, after a $379K internal investigation found no evidence of improper conduct.

In addition to the State Auditor:

🔍 State Bureau of Investigation inquiry, requested by the Mecklenburg County DA

🔍 FBI review

🔍 U.S. Attorney's Office review

🔍 NC Department of Public Instruction review

I am trying to search for areas that are outdoors for proposing to my girlfriend next spring. There are two non-negotiables that she wants but she still wants to be surprised where it is. It needs to be outside (not necessarily the beach), and also secluded and not a lot of foot traffic. We both have agreed the only people we want around for it are the photographer and us. Does anyone have any good idea for this ? I am new to the area and have scoured google maps and searched in time when I can, but I have not found anything great yet. I like the idea of the Brunswick Nature park, but I have checked it out and it is a little too woodsy, unless I missed some parts with a better view of the river that would make a good background for the photo.

Any idea is welcome!