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For immediate release.
Oct. 23, 2006
Contact Bryan Warner, N.C. Center for Voter Education, 919-839-1200

Statewide Judicial Candidates to Appear on Televised Forum Presented by UNC-TV and the N.C. Center for Voter Education

RALEIGH – Which candidate for judge once convicted a woman for assault with a pancake? Which candidate claims the support of the leaders of both political parties? Will women make up a new majority on the state Supreme Court?

Voters can find out the answers to these and other questions when all 12 candidates for the N.C. Supreme Court and N.C. Court of Appeals are featured in a three-part series of televised forums airing statewide on UNC-TV, starting this Thursday at 8 p.m.

“Judge for Yourself: Election 2006,” presented by the N.C. Center for Voter Education and UNC-TV, gives voters a first-hand look at the candidates for North Carolina’s highest courts.

The first episode of the series showcases the race for the state’s chief justice, airing on UNC-TV on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. The N.C. Court of Appeals races are highlighted in the episode following immediately afterward at 8:30 p.m.

The three races for associate justice of the N.C. Supreme Court are featured in the final episode on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 8 p.m.

Studies by the N.C. Center for Voter Education show that the top reason North Carolina voters say they don’t go to the polls is because they know little or nothing about the candidates. The Center’s research has found this drought of information to be especially problematic when it comes to judicial races. With a majority of state Supreme Court seats up for election this year, the aim of the judicial forum is to help voters cast an informed ballot.

“Voters tell us that they want more information about these candidates and, together with UNC-TV, the Center for Voter Education is proud to help provide it,” says Chris Heagarty, executive director of the nonpartisan N.C. Center for Voter Education. “With low voter turnout expected, and more than half of the seats on the state Supreme Court on the line, voters have even more responsibility than ever to make sure they cast an educated vote, with solid facts on these candidates.”

Support for the forum was made possible in part by donations from numerous organizations, including the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers, the N.C. Association of Defense Attorneys, N.C. Lawyers Weekly, Touchstone Energy, and the law firms of Maupin Taylor, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, Tharrington Smith, and Troutman Saunders.

Additional assistance for the series was provided by the N.C. Bar Association, N.C. Mutual Life Insurance, N.C. Spin, State Government Radio and the law firm of Helms Mullis Wicker.

In addition to its partnership with UNC-TV in presenting “Judge for Yourself: Election 2006,” the N.C. Center for Voter Education has launched a series of interviews on State Government Radio with the statewide judicial candidates, and offers a free online voter guide profiling the contenders.

Episodes of the radio show and the online voter guide are available by visiting www.ncvoterguide.org.

The N.C. Center for Voter Education is a Raleigh-based nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving elections in North Carolina.

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