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New Yorkers now have the right to apply for and work at a job without an employer demanding a look at their personal credit history.

Yesterday, voters from coast to coast fought back against big-money politics. Voters in Maine and Seattle resoundingly approved ballot measures aimed at empowering the voices of ordinary citizens in the political process.

Discussion about the working class, who make up the majority of American families and would benefit most from such a raise, has all but disappeared from popular conversation.

In response to the clean elections victories across the country yesterday, Demos President Heather McGhee issued the following statement:

On Monday, President Obama ordered federal agencies to stop asking most prospective employees about their criminal histories at the beginning of the application process. 

For too long, Americans seeking to re-enter the workforce and make an honest living have had job opportunities taken away because of an honest answer on an application--an honest answer about a crime for which they have already paid the price.

Scandal introduced general audiences to the practice of dog-whistle politics, but it’s also important to know the political consequences of dog-whistle appeals.

The voting rights groups say that among other things, the federal exchange should be offering to help applicants complete a voter registration form. Although many applicants use the exchange independently, others turn to its call center or to “navigator” groups that have federal grants to help people apply for coverage.

“The navigators aren’t receiving any training or direction that they have to offer voter registration services,” said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, senior counsel at Demos.

"The Administration strongly supports the goals of the NVRA and is committed to enforcing its requirements, as applicable,” Aaron Albright, a spokesman for the HHS' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said in an email.

But the current configuration doesn't meet the specific requirements in the law regarding language and other administrative mandates, the groups say.

Of course, the vast majority of Americans will never come close to earning a million dollars. Perhaps more tellingly, many of the people politicians think they’re speaking to by talking about the “middle class,” don’t define themselves as such. They view themselves as working class, and basically hear none of the candidates reflecting their lived experiences.