As reported first yesterday by the Elizabeth City Daily Advance and posted here, the Pasquotank County Board of Elections barred Elizabeth City State University student Montravias King from running for city council, adopting the argument of county GOP leader Pete Gilbert that King’s dorm address did not suffice to establish local residency — even though King had established residency at that address for purposes of voting.
Now, Gilbert has announced that he will be challenging the residency of more students using campus addresses to register to vote. In an interview with the Associated Press, Gilbert urged others living in college towns across the state to do the same and said he’d be “taking this show on the road.”
King’s attorney, Clare Barnett of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, said she will appeal the board’s decision to the state Board of Elections.
“GOP Chair Pete Gilbert’s challenge to Mr. King’s candidacy is based on challenging the well-established right of college students to vote in their college community,” Barnett said. “Mr. King is qualified under the North Carolina constitution to vote in his precinct and therefore also has a constitutional right to run for office. The local board of election’s decision is based on a misapplication of the law that denies Mr. King his right to run for office.”
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