We’re bridging divides to ensure peace for all North Carolinians. Supported by The Carter Center, the North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe, and Secure Elections welcomes participants from across the political spectrum, from every corner of the state, and from every walk of life.
The North Carolina Network is for dedicated leaders and community members who want to improve the quality of our democracy and who agree with our three principles.
What We Stand For
- Committing to truth in our politics.
- Engaging peacefully with our fellow Americans, and
- Supporting our electoral democracy.
Voters and organizations can participate in the network, telling candidates to lead by example to help restore trust in elections. Network members will promote peaceful resolution of disputes and differences through constructive engagement, share proactive messaging that promotes accurate information about our elections, and counter acts of intimidation through dialogue, conflict-sensitive communication, and rapid response planning.
Principles for Trusted Elections
North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe, and Secure Elections members will help mobilize support for the Principles for Trusted Elections. Launched in 2022, the nationwide, cross-partisan initiative asks citizens, organizations, and public officials to uphold five core principles of democratic elections. The Principles are:
- Integrity
- Nonviolence
- Security
- Oversight
- Peaceful transfer of power
As the 2024 Election approaches, our aim is to push back on extreme polarization by getting citizens in every state to support these principles. More than 1000 leaders from across the political spectrum are collaborating to support these principles.
As the 2024 Election approaches, our aim is to push back on partisanship by getting citizens in every state to support these principles. Leaders from across North Carolina's political spectrum are collaborating with the Network to support these principles.
State of North Carolina Senior Advisors
Bob Orr
Senior Advisor
Bob Orr was licensed as an attorney in North Carolina in 1975 and practiced law in Asheville for eleven years before being appointed by Governor James G. Martin to the N.C. Court of Appeals. He served on the Court of Appeals from 1986 to 1994 and as a Justice on the N.C. Supreme Court from 1995 to 2004. He won four statewide partisan elections throughout his judicial career. His election to the Court of Appeals in 1988 made him the first Republican since 1896 to win a statewide judicial election in North Carolina. He retired from the Supreme Court in 2004 when he became the founding Executive Director of the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law, litigating state constitutional issues. He taught as an adjunct professor at UNC School of Law for over twenty years and since 2010 has been engaged in the private practice of law.
Jennifer Roberts
Senior Advisor
Jennifer Roberts served as a four-term Mecklenburg County Commissioner and later as the 58th Mayor of Charlotte. After leaving public office, she ran the Communities Program on climate solutions for a national environmental non-profit, ecoAmerica. She has long been a champion of issues related to education, equality, inclusion, and environmental protection. She is the only person to be elected to serve as both Chairman of the Mecklenburg County Commission and later as Mayor of Charlotte.
Before entering elected office, Roberts worked as a high school math teacher, a diplomat with the U.S. State Department, an international banker, and an adjunct professor at UNC-Charlotte. She currently serves on numerous community boards and commissions, including serving as chair of Meck Ed and treasurer of MeckMIN (Mecklenburg Metropolitan Interfaith Network). In addition to her work with The Carter Center, she is the honorary chair of the Re-imagining America Project, a speaker and author, and a consultant on issues ranging from climate change to democratic engagement and leadership.