On Monday, the Georgia House of Representatives passed a bill to enact restrictions on voting. This includes restricting absentee voting in certain cases, cutting back on early voting hours, preventing county elections offices from receiving grant funding directly, shortening the state’s runoff election period, taking away the secretary of state’s role as chair of the […]
Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff Win Georgia Senate Elections
On Tuesday, Georgia held its runoff elections for the Senate, and on Wednesday AP News officially called both races, with both democratic candidates, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, winning in close margins. These wins are historic, with Warnock being the first Black senator from Georgia and Ossoff being the first Jewish senator from the state. […]
Georgians Unite to Make “Good Trouble” in Marches and Votercades Across the State
On Monday, Dec. 14, Black and Brown voters in cities across Georgia are joined community organizers for John Lewis “Good Trouble” marches and votercades. Black and Brown voters in cities across Georgia are joined the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda, the Transformative Justice Coalition, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and community organizers for John Lewis “Good Trouble” Marches and Votercades—festive celebrations of […]
Amendment 1 Passes, Further Restricting Abortion Access in LA
Last week, Louisiana voters passed Proposed Amendment 1, which explicitly states that the state constitution offers no protections for a right to an abortion or funding for abortions. Voters passed the constitutional amendment 62 percent to 38 percent. If Roe were to be overturned, which is a rising concern due to the appointment of Justice […]
Kamala Harris Becomes First Female VP-Elect in U.S. History
On Saturday, after days of uncertainty, the 2020 election was called for Vice President Joe Biden, making his running mate Senator Kamala Harris the first female, first Black and first South Asian woman to become Vice President-Elect in U.S. history. “So, I’m thinking about her and about the generations of women — Black Women. Asian, […]
Feminists Win in Historic Races Across the Country
On Tuesday, feminists across the country were elected to office, including many historic firsts. In Missouri, Cori Bush became the first Black woman to represent the state in Congress. Bush won by a 79 to 19 percent margin in Missouri’s first congressional district. She is a nurse, pastor, community organizer, protest leader, and progressive politician […]
Long Early Voting Lines Point to Inefficiency and Voter Suppression
In numerous states, early voting has been accompanied by extremely long voting lines, which indicates both a lack of preparedness for early in-person voting and voter suppression leading up to the election. In Columbus, Ohio, the early voting line reached a quarter of a mile long, and in Cuyahoga County, voters had to wait for […]
Trump Administration’s USPS Restructuring Leads to Fears of Mass Voter Disenfranchisement
The recent steps taken by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump appointee and Trump campaign mega-donor, have led to fears about the Postal Service’s (USPS’s) ability to handle mail-in ballots during the November elections. Following DeJoy’s appointment in June, he took drastic steps to cut the Postal Service’s costs, including stopping overtime work and removing […]
Record Number of Women Running for Congress in 2020
More women are running for Congress than ever before. According to data from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University, 583 women have filed to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020. So far, 243 women have won their primary elections, another record high. While fewer female Democrats have […]
Kamala Harris Becomes Historic Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate
On Tuesday presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced his running mate – Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA). In doing so, Sen. Harris has become the first Black woman and first South Asian American woman to be the vice-presidential nominee of a major political party. If elected, Sen. Harris would become the first female, first Black, […]
Historic Number of Black Women Running for Congress in 2020
Women in politics are breaking barriers and setting records left and right in 2020, amid unprecedented circumstances that have shaped national conversations and altered the ways that elections are administered and campaigns are run. Most recently, a piece in Reuters shared that a record number of Black women are set to run for Congress in […]
State Senator Nikema Williams Selected to Fill John Lewis’ Congressional Seat
With the passing of John Lewis (D-GA) last week, the United States lost a giant who devoted his life and career to civil rights, social justice, and causing – as he frequently put it – “good trouble.” At the same time, the nation lost a 17-term Democratic congressman who represented Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District since […]
Supreme Court Rules Against Reinstating Florida Felon Voting Rights
The Supreme Court upheld a lower court order on Friday that will prohibit thousands of formerly incarcerated people in Florida from voting. In 2018, the Florida electorate voted to amend the constitution to allow felons to vote. Felons who finished their parole or probation periods would be eligible, but felons convicted of murder or sexual […]
Upcoming Elections May Jeopardize the Historic Number of GOP Women Senators
Since 2018, with the swearing-in of senators including Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Martha McSally (R-AZ), and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), the greatest number of Republican women have been serving in the U.S. Senate in the party’s history. However, this historic victory for gender representation in the Republican Party may be in jeopardy come November. A recent Politico […]
Trump’s Controversial Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma Has “Embarrassing” Turnout
President Donald Trump held his first campaign rally since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday evening. Despite claims that nearly one million people registered for tickets, the Tulsa Fire Department reported that about 6,2000 people attended the rally. President Trump is reportedly “furious” about the “underwhelming” crowd. The rally was […]
Planned Parenthood Endorses Joe Biden for President
On Monday, Planned Parenthood Action Fund announced their endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden for president. In a video statement, acting president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Alexis McGill Johnson, explains the decision. She cites the work done during the Obama-Biden administration. “While Joe Biden was Vice President, more people got insurance coverage than […]
Utah’s “I Voted” Stickers Honor Women’s Suffrage
The state of Utah will be celebrating its historic commitment to women’s suffrage as well as the centennial of the 19th Amendment by distributing unique “I Voted” stickers during 2020 primary and general elections. Because 2020 marks 150 years since Utah’s equal suffrage law as well as 100 years since Congress ratified the 19th Amendment, […]
Sybrina Fulton, Mother of Trayvon Martin, Qualifies to Run for Public Office
Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, has officially qualified to run for public office in Florida. On Monday, she announced her qualification to run for Miami Dade County Commissioner for District 1. Fulton lost her 17-year-old son to racial violence in 2012, when he was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer. She has since […]
First Openly Transgender Official Wins City Council Seat in West Virginia
Tuesday was Election Day in West Virginia and Rosemary Ketchum, a community organizer and activist, was among those elected to office. Ketchum will represent Wheeling, West Virginia’s Third Ward in the Wheeling City Council and has made history by becoming West Virginia’s first openly transgender elected official. Ketchum announced her candidacy for Wheeling City Council […]
Georgia Primary Marred By Voting Delays
Voting in Georgia’s primary elections Tuesday was plagued with technical difficulties and hours-long lines that disproportionally affected urban areas and communities of color. Delays with voting in the state occurred because of poll workers’ inadequate training on the new voting machines, precincts being closed because of the pandemic, and social distancing and disinfecting practices. Areas with […]
