Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash Voting rights activists around the country are celebrating as the Supreme Court released their decision for the Moore v. Harper case, ruling that state legislatures do not have the authority to set election rules outside the constraints of state constitutions. This is the second time this month we have seen a pro-democracy victory, where the Supreme […]
Supreme Court rules to protect the Voting Rights Act
Photo from Aurora Samperio/NurPhoto via ZUMA Press In a surprising win for voting rights and racial justice, the Supreme Court voted last week to reaffirm a decades old precedent prohibiting racial gerrymandering. The decision centered around Alabama’s legislative districts, where a Republican led redistricting plan would result in White voters becoming the majority in six […]
Activists Arrested in Voting Rights Demonstration
Twenty-five activists were arrested in front of the White House on Tuesday. The Action was to urge President Biden to use his influence with the Senate to garner the votes needed for passage of the Voting Rights Act or to end the Filibuster. The activists were demonstrating for Voting Rights and demanding that Congress “fix […]
Texas Governor Greg Abbott Signs Restrictive Voting Bill into Law
On Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill that will impose new voting restrictions on the people of Texas. The bill was passed by the Texas Legislature last week. The bill, called SB 1, will disproportionately limit voting access for people of color, people with disabilities, and elderly people in Texas. It bans drive-through […]
Texas Legislature Passes Restrictive Voting Bill
The Texas Legislature passed a bill on Tuesday that would restrict voting access across the state. Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott is expected to sign the bill soon. The bill, SB 1, imposes several voting restrictions that would predominantly limit voting access for Black, Latinx, and voters with disabilities. It bans drive-thru voting, 24-hour voting, and […]
Thousands Protest for Voting Rights on 58th Anniversary of March on Washington
On Saturday, thousands of people protested in Washington, D.C. and nationwide to both honor the 58th anniversary of the March on Washington and rally for voting rights. Participants of the rally, which was called the March on For Voting Rights, marched to protest the onslaught of recently passed state laws that restrict the right to […]
House Passes John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to Strengthen Landmark Voting Rights Act
The House passed on Tuesday the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a bill that would strengthen and restore key provisions of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act. The legislation is named after the civil and voting rights leader John Lewis, who died a year ago. The bill, HR 4, would restore the preclearance provision […]
Texas Senate Passes Restrictive Voting Bill After Sen. Alvarado’s 15-hour Filibuster
The Texas Senate voted Thursday to pass a bill that would further restrict voting rights in the state. Their vote came just after Texas Senator Carol Alvarado ended her 15-hour filibuster to oppose the bill. The bill, SB 1, was passed in a 18-11 vote along party lines. SB 1 would prohibit drive-thru voting, […]
Thousands Rally at Texas State Capitol to Protest Voting Restrictions
Thousands of people marched on the Texas State Capitol Saturday to protest the state’s recent restrictive voting laws. The Capitol rally was the culmination of a four-day-long march for voting rights. The 27-mile march from Georgetown, Texas to Austin began on Wednesday and ended Saturday at the State Capitol. It was spearheaded by two civil […]
“Good Trouble Vigils for Democracy” Held Across the Nation to Honor John Lewis
Across the country, people gathered to honor the legacy of the late Representative John Lewis (D-GA) with candlelight vigils on Saturday. People met in-person and virtually for these nationwide “Good Trouble Vigils for Democracy” to mark the one-year anniversary of Rep. Lewis’s death and continue his legacy by protesting the current onslaught of voter suppression […]
Representative Joyce Beatty Arrested at Voting Rights Protest on Capitol Hill
On Thursday, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, was arrested while protesting for voting rights in a Senate office building. U.S. Capitol Police arrested Rep. Beatty and eight other activists who were demonstrating in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building. In a statement, police said they arrested the protestors […]
Georgia Representative Arrested for Trying to Watch Governor Sign New Voting Regulations
On Thursday, Georgia state Representative Park Cannon was arrested after she tried to watch Governor Brian Kemp sign SB 202, a divisive voting bill, into law. In a seven-minute Facebook Live video filmed by activist Tamara Stevens, Cannon is seen knocking on the door to the room where the Governor was holding a news conference […]
The US House Passes Landmark Voting Rights Bill
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping voting rights act designed to combat nationwide state level voting restrictions proposed by Republican lawmakers in the wake of the 2020 election. The For the People Act, more commonly known as H.R. 1, would expand voting rights, overhaul campaign finance rules, and reform redistricting laws. […]
Voting Rights Restored to Iowans with Felony Convictions
On Wednesday, Iowa ended its title as the only state in the nation to impose a lifetime voting ban on people with felony convictions when Governor Kim Reynolds signed an executive order restoring voting rights. The order automatically reinstated the right to vote to Iowans who have completed their felony sentences, excluding those convicted of […]
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 […]
Ex-Felons in Florida can now Register to Vote
Today, over a million people are eligible to register to vote in Florida after voters passed Florida Amendment 4 in the November midterms, allowing ex-felons the right to vote. In the 2018 midterms, Florida voters overwhelmingly voted in favor of Amendment 4, which re-instated voting rights to convicted felons as long as they have completed […]
Stacey Abrams’ Lawsuit Challenges Georgia’s Voting System
Stacey Abrams, the 2018 Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, is leading a lawsuit that aims to reform Georgia’s voting system as a whole. The lawsuit argues that the overall effect of the various voting regulations and policies is that voters, especially voters of color, are prevented from casting their ballot. The issues the lawsuit targets specifically […]
On the Ballot: Protecting and Promoting Voting Rights in Michigan
Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) student organizers across Michigan are working on six college campuses to turnout the vote in favor of Propositions 2 and 3, two ballot measures that would help promote and protect statewide voting rights. “At their core, Propositions 2 and 3 are about equal representation and access. Both will promote racial and […]
Five Students are Challenging Alleged Early Voter Suppression in Prairie View, Texas
Five Prairie View A&M students, with the aid of the NAACP, are suing Waller County, Texas, arguing that the county’s decision not to allow early voting at the HBCU is suppressing the majority black and student populations’ ability to vote. While early voting officially began this past Monday in Texas, early voting at the Prairie […]
Federal Court Blocks Strict Texas Voter ID Law
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a lower court ruling blocking a restrictive Texas voter ID law as a violation of the Voting Rights Act.