Political change may be on its way for North Carolina. New legislatures will decide district lines that can impact voices of voters. According to Elon Senior and President of Young Democrats of Alamance Emma Greenberg, every North Carolina election this year is important, all the way down the ballot.
Democratic candidate Eric Henry kicked off his campaign for the 64th district Saturday at Burlington Beer Works. While his primary goals involve reframing the discussion around agriculture and Medicaid expansion, Henry said the answer to North Carolina’s problems is not simply Republican or Democratic.
“Not one party or one person has all the answers. The answers could be across the aisle. We need to look for compromise do that," Henry said. "North Carolina is pretty much 50-50 Democrat, Republican, so we need to embrace that."
According to Elaine Berry, County Chair for Alamance County Democratic Party, this year voters will elect the legislators who will decide district lines. These lines will last for the next decade.
“That’s why we’re calling 2020 a '10 year election.' The people who get elected in 2020 will be the ones who decide basically the districts for the next 10 years,” said Berry.
A primary obstacle the 2020 elections face lies right here on Elon’s campus.
“College students don’t vote. We don't get our voices heard. And that means nobody’s representing issues that are specific and important to us,” said Greenberg.
“We’re inheriting all of this so let’s make it the best world for us and our future generations, our children.”
The 2020 North Carolina Democratic primary will take place on Super Tuesday, March 3.