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Threats to Ballot Access: New Report Examines Risks of Wrongful Voter Removals Across the Country

Dēmos examines ballot access issues, voter suppression in AZ, GA, OH, CA, IN, WI, MI, NC, TX, LA 

Press release/statement
August 10, 2023

We are changing the conversation around our democracy and economy by telling influential new stories about our country and its people. Get our latest blog and media updates here. For more in-depth explorations and analyses, visit our Resources page.

Featured
Ground level view of the Wall Street Stock Exchange

Unfinished Business: Revisiting Dodd-Frank and the Path to Economic Progress

On the anniversary of the Dodd-Frank Act, we reflect on recent banking failures and the inequities inherent in our current financial system. 

Blog
Daniella Zessoules
Black mother and daughter looking at the city river

A Supreme Court Power Grab: Attacking Federal Agencies to Advance an Extremist Agenda

Why the Court's decision to limit the EPA's power to regulate water access is yet another case of eroding the power of the other branches of government at the expense of Black and brown people.

Blog
Ashley Tjhung
supreme court

Supreme Court's Rejection of Affirmative Action Widens the Divide: Dēmos Calls for Renewed Efforts to Combat Systemic Racism

“The 14th Amendment is supposed to be a shield against racism, and now it’s being used as a sword.” 

Press release/statement
Taifa Smith Butler

New Symposium: Could a Self-Government Analysis Change the Money in Politics Landscape?

The University of Pennsylvania Law Review Online has released a Special Issue on Campaign Finance exploring alternatives to the Supreme Court’s analysis in Buckley vs. Valeo, the foundational money in politics case decided 40 years ago this year.
Blog
Allie Boldt

Two Major Steps Forward towards Political Equality in Rhode Island and Ohio

Our work to fight prison gerrymandering and voter purges in Rhode Island and Ohio, respectively.
Blog
Brenda Wright

Civic Groups Ask Courts to Stop Unlawful Voter Purging Practice

Yesterday, a voting rights coalition asked the federal court to stop Ohio’s practice of removing properly registered voters from its voter registration list simply because they have not voted in recent elections.
Press release/statement

America Divided: A Docuseries to Combat Inequality

Inequality is the common thread connecting every issue we work on at Demos, and challenging the public narrative about that inequality is essential to our work to solve it. This year, we’re proud to have an ally in that fight in the entire team behind the upcoming television documentary series
Blog
Heather McGhee

Judge: Cranston Violated Constitution by Counting Inmates in Gerrymandered Districts

“This is a big win for democracy,” said Adam Lioz of Demos, counsel for the plaintiffs. “Prison gerrymandering distorts representation and should no longer be tolerated. This decision should pave the way for other courts to address this long-standing problem.”
In the media
Mark Schieldrop

Cranston Loses Suit on Prison Gerrymandering

Plaintiffs argued that the "prison gerrymandering" improperly considered ACI prisoners as constituents of local elected officials when they are instead "residents of their pre-incarceration communities for virtually all legal purposes, including voting." "I'm thrilled that our fight for equal
In the media
Karen Lee Ziner

Prison Gerrymandering Is Unconstitutional, Federal Judge Rules

Brenda Wright, an attorney with the public policy group Demos — which backed the lawsuit along with the Prison Policy Initiative — said the the litigation was aimed at getting localities to account for prisoners where it truly counts.
In the media
Cristian Farias

Federal Judge Tosses Out Cranston Districting Plan

The ruling concluded that Cranston artificially inflated the population of Ward 6 by treating all inmates of the ACI as residents of the prison for redistricting purposes. ``I’m thrilled that our fight for equal representation has been successful,’’ said Karen Davidson, lead plaintiff, in a news
In the media
Scott Mackay

Federal Court Rules that Prison-based Gerrymandering Violates the Constitution

City of Cranston, Rhode Island ordered to redraw district lines within 30 days.
Press release/statement

Who's Lobbying for Millennial Interests? Meet the "AARP for Young People"

Lobbyists are often frowned upon for doing the bidding of major corporations. A list of the organizations that spend the most on lobbying, maintained by the website OpenSecrets.org, is full of corporations like Boeing, General Electric, and AT&T, as well as associations like the National Association
In the media
Araz Hachadourian