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As North Carolinians prepare to cast their ballots in this pivotal election cycle, a troubling pattern has become all too clear: extremist politicians all across the country are working to undermine the legitimacy of our elections. Their latest tactics include pushing “Citizen Only” amendments and spreading voting disinformation, particularly targeting immigrant communities. While North Carolinians are dealing with our own slew of election misinformation, these efforts are not confined to North Carolina—battleground states across the nation are seeing similar ploys to erode trust in our electoral system and fuel anti-immigrant conspiracy theories.
The strategy behind these actions is clear: sow doubt about the legitimacy of our elections while simultaneously stoking fear and confusion about immigrant communities. This tactic isn’t new, but its timing is deliberate and calculated. By introducing amendments based on bigoted conspiracy theories, these politicians aim to confuse voters and ignite fear, all while setting the stage to dispute election results if they don’t turn out in their favor.
North Carolinians must recognize that these amendments, which claim to safeguard elections, are a smokescreen and blatant attempt to further limit our freedom to vote. The reality is North Carolina elections are secure. There are robust safeguards to ensure only citizens vote in North Carolina elections, such as voter photo ID, weekly voter list maintenance, voter registration requiring verification of a person’s Social Security number, NC DMV driver’s license or HAVA document, and a two-witness requirement when voting by mail.
It’s no coincidence that this anti-immigrant rhetoric is ramping up alongside a barrage of lawsuits aimed at challenging the election process. In North Carolina and across the country, we’re witnessing a coordinated effort to disrupt elections, suppress voter turnout, and weaponize xenophobia to manipulate outcomes. If this playbook feels all too familiar it’s because it is—it’s the same one used in 2020. After peddling false claims about widespread voter fraud, these same insurrectionists and supporters of the Big Lie filed baseless lawsuits and incited violent rhetoric that ultimately led to the January 6th attack on our Capitol. Now, they’re running the same script, trying to cast doubt on our democratic process once again.
What’s particularly alarming is the specific targeting of immigrant voters, especially in Latine, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities. These efforts aren’t just about elections—they are about who belongs in America. The extremists pushing this agenda want to redefine that vision by marginalizing those who don’t fit their narrow view of citizenship. This is a direct attack on our values as a nation built by immigrants. These attempts to intimidate and disenfranchise eligible voters threaten the very foundation of our democracy.
In America, we believe in a simple principle: voters should choose their leaders—not the other way around. But when extremists fear losing power, they resort to lies, litigation, and fearmongering. This constant barrage of disinformation and anti-immigrant rhetoric has one purpose: to undermine confidence in our electoral process and disenfranchise voters, especially those from marginalized communities.
The real crisis in our elections is the fact that so many Americans are unregistered or face significant barriers to casting their ballots. The continuous attacks on voters, whether through lawsuits, false anti-immigrant narratives, or attempts to purge voter rolls en masse, only further erode the legitimacy of our democracy. These efforts to make it harder to vote disproportionately impact communities of color, low-income voters, and anyone who doesn’t fit these extremists’ vision of who belongs in our country.
We must not lose sight of the bigger picture. The freedom to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and every eligible voter should have the opportunity to cast their ballot and have their vote counted—free from intimidation, disinformation, and fear. When we allow these tactics to go unchecked, we act as bystanders to the erosion of our democracy.
This upcoming election is critical, not just for North Carolina but for all Americans and the future of democracy. We must stand firm in the face of these attacks. Our elections should be free, fair, and accessible to all eligible voters. It’s time to reject the politics of fear and division and embrace the principles of equality, justice, and inclusion that are the bedrock of our nation. If we don’t, we risk allowing these extremists to rewrite the rules of democracy in their favor. And once that happens, it becomes much harder to take our democracy back. We must all do our part to protect our elections, uphold the rights of all eligible voters, and ensure that every voice is heard at the ballot box. The future of our democracy depends on it.