Two former NC governors call for unity as early voter turnout breaks records

Two former North Carolina governors from opposite sides of the political aisle have joined forces in a new ad promoting unity in terms of the state’s election process.

Former Republican Gov. Jim Martin and former Democrat Gov. Mike Easley appear together in a video paid for by Common Cause North Carolina.

Martin served from 1985-1993, and Easley served from 2001-2009.

In the video, Easley says while they don’t agree on everything, they do agree that there’s a process that guarantees that votes are counted and reported correctly.

Martin adds that hundreds of dedicated people are working to ensure that the Nov. 5 general election is fair, secure, and accurate. He also said that it’s a process that should be respected no matter who wins.

Easley ends with, “Regardless of party, our democracy comes first.”

The ad is running online across the state.

“At a time when politics can seem so divisive, it’s heartening to see Governor Martin and Governor Easley share this powerful bipartisan message of respecting the outcome of our state’s election,” said Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina in a press release. “We’re grateful for their leadership on this important issue, and we second their message. North Carolina is blessed with an elections process that is fair, accessible, and secure.”

He added that Common Cause North Carolina also thanks the hundreds of dedicated election workers for working in the election.

The parent organization of Common Cause NC, Common Cause, a left-of-center activist group, has been involved in many lawsuits, including those challenging legislative and congressional maps, and the Moore v. Harper redistricting case.

A record-setting 353,166 voters cast their ballots at voting sites across North Carolina on the first day of early voting.

As of Thursday morning, Republicans overtook Democrats as the party with the highest turnout so far in the election.

“We are in an era of major political divide, and both in 2016 and in 2020, both parties had members who refused to accept the results of the election,” said Jim Stirling, research fellow at the John Locke Foundation’s Civitas Center for Public Integrity. “No matter who wins the election, one party or the other will be livid at the results.”