WS Chronicle

The Winston-Salem City Council South Ward Democratic primary should show everyone how important voting and following the rules are. The election came down to six votes between the two candidates in the final canvas of the votes.

There was supposed to be a recount, but candidate John Larson filed a protest before that could happen after the Forsyth County Board of Elections reported that the wrong ballots were mistakenly given out to 26 voters.

There were other election irregularities, also, such as, 101 absentee ballots were thrown out because they didn’t have postmarks, as the law requires. Who knew that in order to get the postmarks, voters have to mail their ballots through a clerk or mailbox at the post office while it is open. Mailing ballots any other way won’t provide the postmarks.

The election has become a learning experience. The protest has been forwarded to the N.C. Board of Elections for consideration. A new election could be ordered.

Too bad the voting discussion is not about the General Assembly, the same one that passed House Bill 2. The passage of this law also is providing a learning experience, because we are learning that the law cuts more rights than first believed.

Everyone knew that the General Assembly was going to hold a special session to repeal a Charlotte law that provided rights to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. But look at what else the GOP-led General Assembly did: it reaffirms that local governments can’t require area businesses to pay a minimum wage higher than North Carolina’s statewide minimum, currently set at $7.25 per hour and explicitly prohibits employees of private businesses from filing lawsuits in state courts alleging workplace discrimination.

The General Assembly would re-instate slavery if it could, it appears.

Who elected these people? North Carolina citizens, of course. Is this why they were elected? To turn back the clock in the state?

Voters really need to look at the landscape and decide to turn back the clock on those who are pushing for the regressive and repressive laws to the times when they were not part of the General Assembly. Look at what six votes can do: possibly determine an election.

We need to vote and urge others to vote against the time machine that is determined to put North Carolina in the news for all the wrong reasons.