My first objective: to get enough signatures to be an additional ballot option, rather than just one person-one party for At-Large Commissioner.
My second objective: to provide variety and depth to the Commissioner's board that an unaffiliated person can offer.
We need to overcome the barrier to entry just to be listed on the Orange County ballot. This means I need ~4400 handwritten signatures.
Click the link below to print the form & follow the 3 steps below:
Help me by signing now!
Multi-disciplinary input is best for good leadership decisions.
Unaffiliated voters want office holders to represent them, not a party.
Here are simple steps to help!
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Click the button above & print the page.
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Sign the first line. If you have registered friends or family nearby have them sign it too!
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Mail the form to me at PO Box 1602, Hillsborough NC 27278 or bring it to our drop box located at Wagner's Wrap, Pack, and Ship; 169 Boone Square St. #255 Hillsborough, NC 27278
​* I must have all signatures by May 11, 2022! Time is short! Please act now!
**You must be a registered Orange County voter for your signature to count!
The Back Story
Pillar 1
Elected positions need choices on the ballot
Living in Orange County since 2006, I've noticed that ballots often list only one person running for a position...and frequently only a single party option is available for many elected positions on the ballot. That seems odd in a County that values input, diversity and choice.
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So I went to Orange County Board of Elections (BOE) to submit paperwork to be on the 2022 ballot. Had I been Democrat or Republican, I could have immediately had my paperwork accepted with payment of a nominal fee. However, upon learning that I was unaffiliated, BOE staff wasn't immediately sure what to do. That surprised me that since a majority of people in NC are unaffiliated! Why would this request be apparently so uncommon? A supervisor invited me into her office, and told me that I needed to get around ~4400 signatures (4% of total Orange County voters) in order to appear as an unaffiliated candidate on the ballot.
I understand there can't be an unlimited number of people on the ballot, but fairness means the same process applies to all candidates running...otherwise the barrier to entry are unfairly high. Imagine how differently your candidate representatives would approach elections, if EVERY candidate had to get 4400 signatures, rather than just being the only name listed.
Pillar 2
There is a reason people are increasingly unaffiliated.
Political positions have become so polarized that affiliation with a party is starting to cause more rifts between families, friends, and co-workers. People are choosing to be unaffiliated because they don't want to be "coerced" into affiliation with a prevailing party position that either of the 2 main political parties exudes.
Pillar 3
Rural neighbors are integral members of Orange County
People enjoy the natural beauty of Orange County, with the proximity of residents typically being only 15 minutes from Chapel Hill, Hillsborough or even Durham. Yet some significant basic services remain strangely limited for our rural neighbors, while expensive projects are funded for the town centers. Many residents in Orange County live in rural areas, and it surprises me how often people in the northern & western parts of Orange County express that their interests aren't addressed. I often work with people in Chapel Hill & Hillsborough and never felt that they dislike the rural community.
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For example, during the COVID lockdowns I experienced what it feels like to have basic modern connection needs not addressed. I discovered we are the "rural disconnected", yet I'm halfway between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. It never crossed my mind to ask if internet was available when purchasing our house, and NextDoor is replete with examples of similarly frustrated people. It's a priority issue of serving the entire County when a very expensive new library is being proposed for Carrboro, yet schools don't use textbooks & push students to the internet....that is minimally available at their homes since 60% of the county has limited connectivity.
I support increased support of Orange County agricultural, high-speed internet connectivity, and recreational program opportunities for our rural neighbors.
Pillar 4
Self-serving doesn't serve the community
It was sometime back around 2010 that I learned the Orange County Commissioners voted themselves permanent health care.
This is unethically self-serving...especially when the system has perpetuated a lack of ballot options and subsequently diverse viewpoints on the local governing boards. Unaffiliated voters and office holders aren't bound to the party mechanism.
Let’s Work Together
Get in touch with me. I'd love to hear your thoughts so we can know each other, and start working together.