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Since the days of Diner’s Club, credit cards have evolved to become a key element of American household finances. When emergency strikes we may not have cash in hand, but with access to credit cards a broken arm, a busted furnace, or a last-minute plane ticket doesn’t have to leave our families
Blog
Catherine Ruetschlin
Ballot design should be simple and straightforward to ensure voters understand for whom and for what they are casting their votes. Ballots should be written in clear, plain language. Ballot design should focus on the ABCs: Accuracy, Brevity and Clarity. It seems almost too basic to have to state
Policy Briefs
Liz Kennedy
States should modernize registration procedures by allowing eligible voters to register to vote and update their registrations online. Online registration saves states and localities money. Registration rates among young voters increase with online registration. These days, bank transfers, credit
Policy Briefs
Liz Kennedy
Making our election system function for all of our citizens should be a bedrock commitment of our nation. The current disparities by class and race in voter registration—and thus, voter turnout—undermine an essential tenet of our democracy: of, by and for the people. In order to address the current
Policy Briefs
Liz Kennedy
Overly burdensome photo ID laws add an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy that disenfranchises millions of otherwise eligible voters. Photo ID requirements place tremendous fiscal burdens on states and localities. States should look to their constitutions to protect the freedom to vote from onerous
Policy Briefs
Liz Kennedy
A person’s voter registration should remain valid when he or she moves within the state. Centralized statewide voter registration databases are essential to provide portable registration. Permanent and Portable registration helps narrow participation gaps among young people, people of color and
Policy Briefs
Liz Kennedy
Provisional ballots are not counted as regular ballots and should be used in only very limited situations. Provisional ballots cast solely because an eligible voter voted in the wrong precinct or polling place should be counted as a regular ballot for any office for which the voter was eligible to
Policy Briefs
Liz Kennedy
Eligible 16 and 17 year olds should be pre-registered to vote and automatically added to voting rolls when they turn 18. Targeted outreach to young eligible voters leads to substantial increases in voter registration. Encouraging civic engagement at a young age leads to increased participation
Policy Briefs
Liz Kennedy
Nearly six million people are denied the right to vote due to felony offenses, even if they have completed their sentences. One out of every 13 eligible African Americans of voting age has lost their right to vote. States should not permanently take away the freedom to vote from any citizen. At a
Policy Briefs
Liz Kennedy
Third party voter registration drives are a critical component to ensuring eligible voters are registered. States should permit third party registration drives without restrictive limitations. Boards of elections should provide materials on voter registration to registration drives. The National
Policy Briefs
Liz Kennedy