Which state has one of the worst records for voting access? You might assume it is a red state, but it’s actually New York. Yes, it’s true. To wit, The Atlantic wrote an article this past fall called New York’s… Read More ›
voting rights
Judge Says No to Trump’s Attempt to Weaponize the Census
Do you want Trump to be involved in determining how many legislators your state will have in Congress? Well, that’s one outcome if Trump gets his way with the Census. Thankfully, a judge ruled against their ploy yesterday. But the… Read More ›
Spread the Vote’s Exciting Expansion
View at Medium.com Is it possible to be excited about a big change? Spread the Vote, a voting rights organization I’m a big fan of, announced some big changes recently and instead of being concerned, I found I was… Read More ›
Will the Supreme Court Ever Create a Rule about Gerrymandering?
Gerrymandering has long been considered to be anti-democratic and an effective voter suppression tool. Particularly after the 2010 Census and with the Republicans in control of so many state legislatures, gerrymandering happened everywhere. In a true representative democracy, politicians should… Read More ›
Sunday Reading: What Caught My Eye This Week
The Powerful Role Confusion Plays In American Elections This fantastic piece by Talking Points Memo makes the case that confusion in elections is essentially another form of voter disenfranchisement. It traces several issues from the November midterms to illustrate how… Read More ›
How Wisconsin Became a Hotbed For Voter Suppression and What Can Be Done About It
The assault on voting rights in Wisconsin has been devastatingly effective. The 2010 elections, which ushered in a ton of Republicans and Tea Party types across the country, ended up being a nightmare for Wisconsin. Since 1999, Democrats had always… Read More ›
The Democrats’ 1st Move in the Next Congress
What are the Democrats going to do first when they take the majority in the House starting in January? We knew that they wanted to tackle voting rights, but we now have the details of the first bill the Democrats will… Read More ›
5 Pro-Democracy NonProfits to Support on #GivingTuesday
Having Black Friday and Cyber Monday right after a holiday where we’re supposed to be thankful for what we have has never sat quite right with me, but I am a big fan of Giving Tuesday. Let’s celebrate a day… Read More ›
4 Key Target States for Voting Rights in 2019
The fight for voting rights can never cease. The National Democratic Redistricting Committee is wasting no time after the midterms to identify their next target states where they’ll be investing resources in the fight for better voting rights for all…. Read More ›
Democrats Will Tackle Voting Rights
The power that the Republicans had over our elections feels like it is waning. Not only did the states usher in many new voting rights wins this past Election Day, but the new House of Representatives, which will be majority… Read More ›
How Voting Rights Fared in the NDRC’s 12 Target States
The truth is, we have to organize to help make voting easier for people. There are far too many people who are currently in power who have wielded their power to restrict the vote as much as possible. But the… Read More ›
Midterms 2018: Voting Rights & More Flips
As more votes are tallied in the too-close-to-call races, the midterm election results are becoming clearer. And, oh, do I have great news for you about the state legislative races! Let me catch you up on the latest news and… Read More ›
How to Cast a Provisional Ballot
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, something goes wrong on Election Day. It is important to understand that you have rights and options. What kinds of problems do I mean? ✦ You show up to your polling place but your name… Read More ›
How to Report a Problem with Voting
It’s important to be prepared in case you run into trouble while voting. You never know when you’ll encounter an issue. What kinds of problems might you run into? ✦ A problem with your voting machine ✦ If you want… Read More ›
2 Weekends Left Until Midterms: Ride to the Polls Challenge
What we do in these next 14 days to turn out the vote will mean the difference between an Election Night where we flip a house … or we fall a couple of seats short. This week’s challenge: Rides to… Read More ›
Who Gets to Referee Their Own Contest?
We wouldn’t allow a pitcher to call his own balls and strikes. We wouldn’t allow the quarterback to determine the ball placement. We wouldn’t allow a sprinter to determine her race time. But in three states, we have current secretaries… Read More ›
Friends Don’t Let Friends Get Their Vote Suppressed
What do you do when a candidate is in a position to suppress the very votes against him? Before 2018, we would not believe this was happening in America. A banana republic somewhere, sure, but not here. Well, it’s happening… Read More ›
1 Thing You Have To Do Before You Vote Next Month
This will be short but sweet. Right now, yes today, you need to check your voter registration. Wait wait wait — keep reading. If you’re like, “Please, I’ve been a registered voter since I was 18.” Or, “Please, I just… Read More ›
Early voting for the midterms has arrived!
How badly have you wanted to get back into the voting booth? Every day since November 2016 perhaps? Well, the time has finally arrived! Each state has its own rules regarding when early voting starts, and the lucky citizens of… Read More ›
Watch out for voter suppression. It’s happening now.
The officials who actively use voter suppression tactics don’t want you to know they’re doing it. Which is why it’s so important to pay attention to what’s happening locally. Who’s on your county Board of Elections? What decisions are they… Read More ›