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The Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg endorses the entire Democratic field ahead of the November election. Absentee ballots will be sent across the state starting Sept. 4.

The Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg has endorsed a straight Democratic ticket ahead of the November elections.

The caucus, which is non-partisan political action committee, leans completely Democratic in its picks, starting with Joe Biden for president, followed by U.S. Senate contender Cal Cunningham and 9th Congressional District candidate Cynthia Wallace. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, who doesn’t have a Republican challenger in the 12th Congressional District, also earned the caucus’ endorsement.

Absentee ballots will be sent via mail across North Carolina starting Sept. 4, and Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, cautions voters that it’s illegal to vote twice despite President Donald Trump’s suggestion in Wilmington Wednesday that voters try it to test the integrity of the state’s election apparatus.

“Attempting to vote twice in an election or soliciting someone to do so also is a violation of North Carolina law,” Bell said. “There are numerous checks in place in North Carolina that prevent people from double voting. Electronic pollbooks with information about who has already voted are used at every early voting site. If a voter tries to check in who has already voted, they will be prevented from voting a regular ballot. A voter will be offered a provisional ballot if they insist on voting, and this ballot will be researched after Election Day to determine whether it should be counted.”

 Incumbent Gov. Roy Cooper, whom the caucus backed in 2016 against Republican incumbent Pat McCrory of Charlotte, once again has the conference’s endorsement. In the lieutenant governor race, which has two Black candidates, the caucus endorsed state Rep. Yvonne Lewis Holley of Raleigh.

N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, the first Black woman to hold the post in state history when Cooper appointed her last year, has the caucus’ preference for a full term. She’s running against Republican Paul Newby in a race that had been officially nonpartisan until the law was changed in 2016 when registered Democrats gained a majority on the court.

Among local legislative races, the PAC endorsed all Democrats in the Mecklenburg delegation, including state Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed, who faces no competition in District 38. Among the Mecklenburg County commissioners, at-large representatives Leigh Altman, Pat Cotham and Ella Scarborough – all running uncontested – were endorsed, as well as Vilma Leake and Mark Jerrell, who are unopposed in districts 2 and 4, respectively. District 3 representative George Dunlap earned the caucus’ nod.

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