James Baker Sat On The 2024 Cumberland County Board Of Elections. [Cumberland County Board of Elections, accessed 6/27/24]
James Baker Was A Republican. [North Carolina State Board of Elections County Board of Elections Members List, updated 11/1/23]
2016: The NAACP Sued The North Carolina Board Of Elections, Alleging Cumberland County Improperly Canceled Thousands Of Voter Registrations. “The NAACP filed suit in federal court on Monday against the North Carolina State Board of Elections, arguing that state officials in at least three counties have canceled ‘thousands’ of voter registrations. Lawyers for the civil rights group say that boards of elections in Beaufort, Moore and Cumberland counties have canceled thousands of voter registrations after a small number of individuals challenged the registration of approximately 4,500 voters based ‘exclusively on mass mailings that were returned as undeliverable.’ They argue the ‘en masse’ cancellation was done in violation of the National Voter Registration Act that prohibits systemic voter removal programs within 90 days of a federal election and that it disproportionately targeted African-American voters.” [CNN, 10/31/16]
2018: Federal Court Ruled In Favor Of The NAACP, Deciding Cumberland County Had Improperly Conducted Mass Removals Of Voters. “A federal court has ordered that three counties in North Carolina must stop purging voters based on private party challenges. Here is the release from the North Carolina NAACP, a plaintiff in the suit. A federal court ruled for the North Carolina NAACP, Moore County Branch of the NAACP, and individual voters yesterday in a landmark voting rights case, issuing a permanent injunction prohibiting the state and county boards of elections from purging voters based on mass challenges filed by private parties. The North Carolina NAACP, the Moore County Branch of the NAACP, and individual plaintiffs brought the lawsuit in October 2016 after learning that county boards of elections in at least three counties across the state—in Moore, Beaufort, and Cumberland County were conducting mass removals of voters based on private challenges, including challenges by the voter integrity project, brought on the basis of returned mail. In Beaufort County, voters who were purged were disproportionately African American.” [NC Newsline, 8/9/18]
James Baker Supported Allowing Public Prayer At Elections Board Meetings, Voted To Reinstate Invocations At Board Meetings And Ended A Prayer “In Jesus’ Name.” “James Baker, a member of the Cumberland County Board of Elections, opened the board’s Tuesday meeting with an invocation — a prayer. He ended the prayer ‘in Jesus’ name.’ Such an invocation has been at the center of a monthslong spat between the board and county residents who accuse the board of trying to remove prayer from the meetings after it began observing a moment of silence instead. [...] The elections board last month voted to reinstate invocations and bring their practices in line with the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and other bodies. ‘Each member has the option at their turn in the rotation to offer a prayer or invite someone from the community,’ said Linda Devore, who supports the public prayers at the meeting. She said Supreme Court decisions ‘have a problem when only board members offer prayer and they are all of the same faith. [...] She noted that Baker, herself and King, a Democrat, voted for the May resolution reinstating the invocations. Nelson abstained and Grimes voted against.’” [Fayetteville Observer, 6/16/22]