A quick overview of the ballot for this coming election and a discussion of lies and misinformation in political ads. Early voting is almost here, and hosts Susan Book and Renee Sekel walk you through everything on your North Carolina ballot this fall from school bonds and three dangerous constitutional amendments to the wildest, most dishonest political ads of the election season. If you live in Wake County or anywhere in North Carolina, this is your crash course on what's actually at stake before you vote.

Susan breaks down why local school bonds matter (think failing HVAC systems and mold-closed schools), makes the case for a long-overdue statewide school bond, and walks through the three proposed constitutional amendments on this year's ballot, including a new photo ID requirement and dangerous limits on property and income tax increases that would tie the hands of local government for good. Then Renee digs into why the legislature is rushing these amendments through now, and why, if they pass, they'll be nearly impossible to undo.

From there, we turn to the truly unhinged political ads flooding North Carolina airwaves this cycle: a cruel, photoshopped attack on candidate James Galliard, Erin Pare's fabricated outrage over a Dolly Parton tribute, the "Cooper raised taxes" claim that makes no sense at all, and a viral ad about the price of "burger" that has to be seen to be believed.

Have thoughts on this episode? Join the conversation and find more ways to get involved at saveourschoolsnc.org.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Red Wine and Blue Voter Guide https://go.redwine.blue/ncarolinavg

Photo ID Exception Form for Absentee Ballots https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/State_Board_Meeting_Docs/2024-06-26/Photo%20ID%20Exception%20Form/Photo%20ID%20Exception%20Form%20Absentee%2020230623_fillable.pdf

League of Women Voters Info Page on Amendments https://my.lwv.org/north-carolina-state/action-alert/three-constitutional-amendments-north-carolinas-2026-ballot

(00:35) Sample ballots and key election dates
(01:51) Why the school bonds matter
(03:59) The case for a statewide school bond
(05:58) The three constitutional amendments on your ballot
(06:20) Amendment 1: limiting property tax increases
(07:15) Amendment 2: capping the state income tax
(08:29) Amendment 3: a new photo ID requirement
(10:16) Don't skip the judicial races
(11:19) Why the legislature wants these amendments locked in now
(14:27) Political ad dishonesty, then and now
(15:15) A disgustingly cruel attack ad against James Galliard
(16:22) Erin Pare's fabricated outrage over Winn Decker
(19:46) The "Cooper raised taxes" claim, debunked
(22:28) Mary Ann Insprecker's party-flipping and the $8 "burger" ad
(26:03) What you can do before Election Day

Advocacy Bites is hosted by Susan Book and Renee Sekel. Learn more and get involved at saveourschoolsnc.org.