By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org Before heading to the polls, Theresa Guyton gets on a group call with every member of her family. They sort through each office on the ballot — from president, to state auditor and everything in between. Each person is assigned a different race to research prior to Election Day, then they confer and decide who earns their vote.  This primary was …Read more Continue reading ‘Vote in hope of change’: education, community concerns top voter issues here

By Ben Rappaport  benrappaport@borderbelt.org   While Super Tuesday didn’t yield many surprises in the high-profile races for North Carolina, voters in the rural southeastern region of the state distinguished themselves in important ways. Most notably, they opted for “anti-establishment” candidates in both parties, many of whom campaigned in the region showing a need for increased engagement of rural voters in the lead-up to the election in …Read more Continue reading Anti-establishment success: takeaways from the 2024 primaries in southeastern NC

By Ben Rappaport and Kerria Weaver benrappaport@borderbelt.org kerriaweaver@borderbelt.org In a navy blue pinstripe suit and black and gold paisley tie, 93-year-old William Matthews Jr. drove through downtown Laurinburg in a Wagoneer bearing his name, waving and tossing candy out the window as he passed the crowds. Matthews, a retired command sergeant major in the National Guard, was the grand marshal for Scotland County’s Second Annual …Read more Continue reading Rural Black voters, including those in Scotland County, are key for Democrats in NC