Southern Coalition for Social Justice

Partnering with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities in the south to defend and advance their political, social and economic rights through the combination of legal advocacy, research, organizing and communications.

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Each post in SCSJ’s “Votes Not Counted” series tells the story of a person qualified to vote before the passage of North Carolina’s Monster Voter Suppression Law, whose ballot was unjustly denied this year. Below is William’s story. If you know another eligible voter whose vote has been denied, please email sarah@scsj.org.
William Kittrell is a 19-year-old sophomore at NC A&T University in Greensboro.  He went to early vote on Saturday, but wasn’t able to because of the law passed by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2013 to “combat voter fraud.”  That new law (H.B. 589) ended same day registration—the ability of voters to register (or to change their registration from county-to-county) during early voting.
William grew up in Greensboro, but lived in Vance County with his dad during high school.  William registered to vote when he got his driver’s license in Vance County.  This was his first time going to vote.  He thought he could update his address to his current Greensboro address during early voting.  But for the General Assembly’s decision in 2013 to end same-day registration at early voting, William would have been able to register in Greensboro and participate in this election.
William was a wrestler in high school, and really enjoyed English classes.  Friends told him he should be a teacher because he’s very patient.  William is doing just that—he’s majoring in Secondary English Education, and will teach high school English classes after he graduates.  The Giver is one of his favorite books.  In his free time, he likes to draw.
William knows how important voting is, just like he knows how important it is for students to have an enthusiastic and patient teacher.  He is doing is his part by becoming a teacher—a voice like William’s should not be silenced.
William’s voice did not need to be silenced—if the North Carolina General Assembly had not repealed same day registration, William would have been able to vote in this election.  He wants voting to be easy and accessible for everyone and so he is sharing his story to fight back against voter suppression.