Bishop William Barber, NC faith leaders call for ‘conspicuous courage’ to combat voter confusion

One month before early in-person voting begins in North Carolina, civil rights leader and Repairers of the Breach President Bishop William Barber said voters should not fall victim to the confusion surrounding voting in the midterms.

The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to approve the president’s executive order restricting mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections, directing the postal service to refuse to deliver mail ballots to certain voters. Late Monday, the high court kept in place a lower court’s order blocking President Donald Trump’s plan to place new restrictions on mail ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 elections.

Voting rights advocates remain concerned that Homeland Security and ICE may dissuade some individuals from showing up at the polls.

Trump has called voting by mail a “hoax,” and he and Republican supporters claim more restrictions on it are needed to prevent election fraud in November. However, Trump himself regularly votes by mail, and study after study has found that mail-in voting fraud is extremely rare.

Barber, founder of the Moral Monday movement, told reporters at a Monday press conference at Raleigh’s Martin Street Baptist Church this was all about creating confusion.

Trump won North Carolina in 2024 by 183,000 votes, but Barber said 1.2 million poor and low wage workers stayed on the sidelines and did not vote. If just 15% of the voters who didn’t cast a ballot two years ago were mobilized to vote in the midterms, the entire outcome could shift, said Barber.

Barber said extremists trying to cling to power are trying to sow confusion into the election process, even as North Carolina absentee ballots are being mailed out, in hopes that some potential voters will become discouraged and decide not to vote.

“What they’re doing is creating confusion where there has been no confusion. That’s what’s going on,” said Barber. “It’s not good for North Carolina. It’s not good for democracy. And lastly, they’re creating confusion that’s so bad that they’re hurting their own people.”

Barber said the only way to push back against the confusion surrounding the mail-in voting rules and other changes is to vote early and, if possible, in person.

More absentee ballots in NC in danger of being tossed under new directives

Barber and faith leaders announced in early August plans to mobilize 1,000 marches to the polls. Their goal is to engage with 5 million low-wage voters and at least 1 million Black men, particularly in the South. As of Monday, they had 320 marches organized in 23 states.

Rev. Dr. Hanna R. Broome said the country is facing a moral crisis when people in power try to make it harder for eligible voters to participate.

“You are telling somebody their voice is too much trouble to count,” said Broome. “And here’s what people behind these attacks are counting on – that no one will call it what it is. This is evil.”

Broome said the best way to combat that strategy  is to make a plan to vote, and volunteer to lead a local march to the polls.

“Anyone  – your church, your organization, fraternity, sorority, lodge, barbershop, hair salon, or family reunion – can march or caravan to the polls,” said Broome.

Barber said the hope is that five people can organize 50, and that 10 people might have the power to encourage 100 more to vote. He calls such visible demonstrations “conspicuous courage” that will inspire infrequent or anxious voters to cast a ballot this fall.

Even though early voting hours and Sunday voting hours may shift in some counties this fall, he said voters must remain determined and vote en masse.

“What we’re not going to do is retreat,” said Barber. “Don’t you get weary. Know what side you’re on. You’re on the side of democracy.”