An International Perspective: Voting Rights are Human Rights
The right to vote is enshrined in our Constitution and is a pillar of our democratic society. Our history is marked by successful struggles to expand the franchise to include those previously barred...
View ArticleVirginia Illustrates Dos and Don’ts in Making Democracy Accessible
Participating in democracy should be a simple exercise for anyone who is a citizen over the age of 18, but as voter registration and turnout stats indicate, it’s not always that easy. On their way to...
View ArticleThe Disenfranchisement of Communities through the Criminal Justice System
Expanding ballot access to all voting-age citizens, particularly the millions who are living and working in our communities with past felony convictions, has been the foundation of many advocates’...
View ArticleNewly Elected Minnesota Legislators Announce Intent to make Voting More...
Minnesota has some of the most progressive voter registration laws in the country, laws like same day registration and vouching, that are designed to maximize turnout and get as many voices as possible...
View ArticleHow Felon Voting Restrictions Punish Entire American Communities
Right now, an estimated 5.3 million people are being denied the right to vote because of a felony conviction, many of them living and working in our communities. This number of disenfranchised people...
View ArticleVoting Rights News Roundup
Election season is already underway with the nation talking about the state of voting rights. The War on Voting that we discussed in last week’s roundup is now being tempered with congressional...
View ArticleThe battle over ballot access continues in Colorado
The battle continues between a Colorado election clerk and the secretary of state over who can receive mail ballots before the Nov. 1 election. Today, Colorado Common Cause, a nonprofit advocacy group,...
View ArticleDemocracy Restoration Act Could Help Enfranchise Four Million Citizens
At the urging of more than two dozen civil rights groups, an important piece of legislation was introduced in the Senate today that would give the democratic voice back to millions of citizens. The...
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Restoring Voting Rights
Photo by Jared Rodriguez / Truthout via Creative Commons license. In my experience, most Americans believe in second chances. Yet, in the voting rights world, we have a glaring contradiction. In...
View ArticleDelaware Bill Gives Voice to New Group of Citizens
Delaware lawmakers took another step forward in helping resolve the “glaring contradiction” that keeps Americans who have already served their time from participating in the democratic process. Today,...
View ArticleThe Invisible Barrier to Voting
Tuesday, more than 350,000 Virginians (about 7 percent of the voting population) did not get to choose their new governor. As MSNBC‘s Ari Melber pointed out in an important piece this week, the problem...
View ArticleVoter Suppression Laws Most Likely Pass Where Minority Turnout Is High, Says...
There may be a correlation between high minority voter turnout and the passage of restrictive voting laws, according to a recent article for the American Political Science Association. Restrictive...
View ArticlePut Felon Disenfranchisement on the Front Burner
They tell us that there are no coincidences in life, and similarly, there are no coincidences in politics. On Tuesday, Attorney General Eric Holder gave a headline-making speech on criminal justice...
View ArticleNew Report on Restoring Voting Rights for Former Felons
Today, Project Vote is pleased to release the latest policy paper in our Issues in Election Administration series, Restoring Voting Rights for Former Felons. The story of American democracy is often...
View ArticleWhat Kind of Year Has It Been for Election Laws?
WASHINGTON, DC — With Americans heading to the polls in just four weeks, a new report from voting rights group Project Vote shows that many beneficial election reforms were proposed in 2014, but few...
View ArticleHighlights of 2014
Now that 2014 has come to a close, we’re looking back at what an eventful year it was! From our work to empower individuals and organizations on the ground, to important voting rights victories in the...
View ArticleDemocracy Restoration Act Would Give Voting Rights Back to Millions in...
Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and several others introduced the Democracy Restoration Act to “restore voting rights in federal elections to the million Americans who are out of prison and living in...
View ArticleVoter Empowerment Act would Improve Elections for Both Voters and Officials
Today, the Voter Empowerment Act (VEA) was introduced in the House of Representatives. Estelle Rogers, legislative director for Project Vote, issued the following statement in support of this important...
View ArticleVoting Rights Proposals Could Affect 2016 Elections
New report shows strong interest in making voting easier, but little progress WASHINGTON, DC — Since January, lawmakers on the state and federal levels have introduced over 180 bills that would change...
View ArticleDemocracy Restoration Act Could Help Enfranchise Four Million Citizens
At the urging of more than two dozen civil rights groups, an important piece of legislation was introduced in the Senate today that would give the democratic voice back to millions of citizens. The...
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