Lawful Use of Same-Day Registration No Basis for Voter Witch-Hunt
XENIA, OH — Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Stephan Haller and Sheriff Gene Fischer abruptly announced they were dropping an investigation into same-day registrants last week, after Demos and other voting rights advocates warned that their actions appeared to violate federal voting rights protections.
“This violation of the Voting Rights Act is part of an anti-democratic pattern levied in response to increasing engagement among young people and voters of color. We cannot — and will not — allow that pattern to stand.”
Columbus, OH — Demos and other voting rights advocates filed a brief in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio today urging the court to protect Ohio voters against unlawful purges on the eve of the presidential election. The Ohio GOP has asked the court to require mass purges of voters who have registered since January 1, 2008, if last-minute "matching" process shows any discrepancy between voter registration and motor vehicle records.
As Black, brown, and Native communities across the country face a racist push to undermine the basic freedom to vote, South Dakota must live up to its obligations under the National Voter Registration Act.
We are pleased that the U.S. Court of Appeals has come down on the side of the voters, protecting their right to remain on the voter rolls and participate in our democracy.
"In addition to the For the People Act and D.C statehood, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is a critical democracy reform bill that will move us toward that ideal. The Senate must now do what it takes to take up and pass this critical bill.”
State and local governments must commit to ensuring that communities of color can influence and impact the political process by maintaining an open and accessible redistricting process to all members of diverse communities.
“The actions outlined today are a good start and, with additional consultation, creative thinking, and commitments, have the potential to transform how and where people register to vote all across America."
"This agreement to bring the state of Kansas back into compliance with the National Voter Registration Act is a win for the residents of Kansas, who will now have more access to voter registration and greater opportunity to vote and enjoy full participation in the democratic process."
"The Freedom to Vote Act — the most significant voting rights bill in generations — would be a giant step toward our goal of creating a just, inclusive, multiracial democracy."
"For the sake of millions — people watching their rents go up while their wages don’t, parents who need support in tackling the ever-rising cost of child care, and seniors who regularly must decide whether they can afford their bills or their pills — the Senate must pass this legislation.”
Groups Call for Senate to Quickly Pass "Veterans Voting Support Act"
Washington, DC — Hundreds of thousands of veterans would have widespread and direct access to voter registration services through Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offices under a landmark bill that was passed by the House of Representatives yesterday, the Veterans Voting Support Act (H.R. 6625), introduced by Rep. Robert Brady. A companion bill sponsored by Senators Diane Feinstein and John Kerry (S. 3308) may be acted on by the Senate in coming days.
Advocates Call for Passage of Feinstein and Kerry's "Veterans Voting Support Act"
New York — In response to the Department of Veterans Affairs' decision to modify its policy barring voter registration activity in VA facilities, today the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, Demos and the League of Women Voters submitted a letter to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein calling the VA's directive an important but still inadequate step towards protecting the voting rights of veterans.
Everything about this law is thoroughly anti-democratic and designed to silence Black and brown people as the number of Floridians of color who are eligible to vote increases.
This country’s sordid history of anti-voter discrimination—particularly against Black and brown voters—warrants scrutiny of practices that make it harder for eligible voters to cast a ballot.