Earlier this week on April 2, members of the Columbus branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) woke up expecting to participate in a long-delayed election. By 9am they were supposed to receive an email link. A link that would allow them to cast votes, decide leadership, and carry forward an institution with more than a century of movement memory.
But the link never came.
For hours, there was silence. Confusion circulated through inboxes, group chats, and whispered phone calls. Had the election been delayed again? Was there a glitch? Had someone forgotten to hit “send?”
It wasn’t until nearly noon – three full hours after voting was scheduled to begin – when members received an email from the NAACP’s national office. The message, sent twice, contained a memo from Ericka Cain, Vice President of Governance, Compliance and Training. It explained that a court had issued a temporary restraining order, halting the election.