The Time Is Now

For Immediate Release

The history of voting in our democratic society carries many ordeals, including but not limited to: eligibility requirements, age restrictions, intentional efforts to deny certain groups the right to vote, conflicting state and federal laws, and even the brutality and death of those who fought for voting rights. Added to this is the way political parties often use information to either encourage or discourage voting, which undermines the vitality of our democratic ideals.

The Historical West End Neighborhood Association (HWENA) consortium therefore uses the familiar reference, “The Urgency of Now!” in relation to the November 2025 elections. The recent decision by the North Carolina State Board of Elections to allow counties to eliminate Sunday voting is an outright attempt to discourage voters who participate in “Souls to the Polls” efforts—organized by churches, communities, and civic organizations to support working families who are only available to vote on Sundays due to job and family obligations. These efforts disproportionately impact Black voters and other marginalized citizens.

Now is the time to take someone to the polls, engage youth, and remind everyone about early voting.
Now is the time to consider the total body of work of each candidate, not just the isolated incidents political bodies use to disparage them.
Now is the time to learn about candidates who collaborate to address housing affordability, education, environmental sustainability, and crime.
Now is the time to read the entire ballot and ensure accurate information is shared about bonds and other issues that affect all citizens, not just certain segments of our community.
Now is the time to bring about good controversy.
And now is the time to remain vigilant about voting and to never give up—because too many have sacrificed, and even died, for all of us to vote with dignity and pride.

The Historic West End Neighborhood Association is a voluntary consortium of 18 residential communities along the Beatties Ford Road Northwest Corridor, City of Charlotte-Mecklenburg County. The purpose of the consortium is to provide opportunities/create space to build community through collaborative efforts of communication, engagement, and education. Each neighborhood, united by the richness of its cultural heritage, maintains its own autonomy to preserve the unique aspects of respective histories and avoid duplication of missions/efforts. In addition, as stewards of respective neighborhoods/Beatties Ford Road Community, members engage with elected officials and staff from City, County, and State government along with Charlotte Mecklenburg Police, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Department, and other entities involved in the welfare/vitality of Charlotte. For more information about HWENA please visit www.hwena.org.