In the midst of a global public health crisis, the outcome of the November U.S. election is uncertain and steeped in partisan politics. Republicans argue that Democrats’ efforts to enact vote-by-mail are undermining and remaking democracy while Democrats argue such efforts are, in fact, to protect democracy and voter’s rights. Across the country, people are […]
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North Dakota’s Voter ID Law Aims to Disenfranchise Native Americans
Last week, the Supreme Court upheld North Dakota’s most recent controversial voter identification law, which many argue was purposely designed to discriminate against the state’s Native American population. That means a voter ID law that disenfranchises thousands of Native voters will be in effect for the November elections.
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Today is the 53rd Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
August 6, 2018 marks the 53rd anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson signing into law the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965. Politicians and organizations alike are recognizing the milestone on social media, highlighting how the VRA continues to influence American elections and politics today.
Thousands of Wisconsin Voters Blocked by Voter ID Laws in 2016 Election
A recent study shows that as many as 23,000 eligible voters in Wisconsin were discouraged from casting a ballot in the 2016 presidential election due to the state’s voter ID laws.
Today is National Voter Registration Day
Today, September 26, is National Voter Registration Day. First celebrated in 2012, National Voter Registration Day serves to raise awareness about voter registration deadlines so that all eligible voters are able to participate in upcoming elections.
Three Texas Voting Laws Ruled Racially Discriminatory
In 2013, the Supreme Court overturned the provision requiring specific states to seek federal approval, freeing Texas to pass whatever election laws it pleased. Voting rights activists have stated that if that provision of the Voting Rights Act was still in place, Texas taxpayers would have been spared the significant legal costs incurred defending these unconstitutional laws.
Justice Department Withdraws Objection to Texas’ Voter ID Law
On Monday, the Justice Department withdrew its Obama era objection to Texas’ draconian voter ID law, claiming that the Department, now under President Trump and Attorney General Sessions, no longer believes the law was passed with discriminatory intent.
McCrory Concedes North Carolina Governor’s Race to Democratic Challenger
Today North Carolina’s incumbent governor, Pat McCrory, conceded to his Democratic challenger, Roy Cooper, becoming the first North Carolina governor to ever lose re-election and ending a month long contentious struggle for the future leadership of the state.
Voter ID Requirements and Transgender Americans
Five days out from the election and voter ID laws are in effect in 30 states.
Texas Placed Under Federal Supervision, Tries to Reinstate Draconian Voter ID Law
On Friday, Texas’ Attorney General filed a petition requesting that the United States Supreme Court reinstate the state’s draconian voter ID law, SB 14, following the remarkable move by a US District judge to put Texas under court supervision.
North Dakota Voter ID Law Blocked
Continuing a pattern of recent federal court decisions in favor of voting rights, Judge Daniel L. Hovland of the U.S. District Court for North Dakota yesterday blocked enforcement of the state’s strict voter ID law.
Court Strikes Down North Carolina Voter ID Law
A panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has struck down North Carolina’s voter identification requirement, arguing that it was passed with racially discriminatory intent.
Judge Creates Temporary Exception to Wisconsin’s Voter ID Law
A federal judge in Wisconsin issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday that allows voters lacking a state approved photo ID to vote via affidavit in the upcoming November elections.
Texas Voter ID Law Ruled Racially Discriminatory by Court of Appeals
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled that Texas’ law requiring individuals to show a limited selection of government issued photo identification when they go to vote is racially discriminatory. Wednesday’s ruling marks a momentous victory in an already three-year-long court battle to challenge the strictest voter ID law in the […]
31 Alabama DMVs Close, But Photo ID Still Required to Vote
Congresswoman Terri Sewell is calling the closure of DMVs in mostly poor, African-American regions of Alabama- effectively cutting off access to obtaining voter ID- “unacceptable.”
Voter Suppression Efforts Quietly Advance in Nevada
These measures would disproportionately impact people of color, women, young people, and the elderly, and could hurt their chances of voting in the 2016 elections.
North Carolina Board of Elections Eliminates On-Campus Voting Sites Across the State
North Carolina will begin state-wide early voting on Thursday, and unlike the 2012 presidential election, many students across the state will have no polling place on-campus, making it more difficult for students to exercise their right to vote.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Slams Supreme Court for Upholding Voter Suppression in Texas
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg issued a blistering dissent after a ruling by the US Supreme Court this weekend threatened to disqualify more than half a million Texas voters from early voting.
Enforcement of Voter Suppression Law in Texas Uncertain
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled yesterday that Texas could enforce its strict Voter ID law, despite a lower court’s finding that the law was discriminatory and would likely suppress the votes of African Americans and Hispanics in Texas.
Voter ID Law Struck Down in Wisconsin
A federal judge struck down Wisconsin’s new voter identification law last week, ruling that the law violated the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution as well as Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
