ACLU Warns of Voter Intimidation in Northern California County

ACLU Warns of Voter Intimidation in Northern California County

By EditorJun 17, 2016
California - The ACLU of California issued this press release (below) last week regarding the possible voter intimidation of Hmong (voters whose ethnic origins are from the mountainous regions of China and Vietnam) living in the northern regions of the state. Media Contact: (415) 621-2493 (press@aclunc.org) Since last Friday, the ACLU of California’s Voting Rights Project has been working on a grave situation in California’s northern most county – Siskiyou County – home to a large community of Hmong Americans, hundreds of whom are newly registered voters. We have reason to believe that since last Wednesday, the sheriff and other county officials have been engaged in a targeted voter intimidation campaign against…
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City in Orange County California Skips Court and Abolishes At-Large Voting

City in Orange County California Skips Court and Abolishes At-Large Voting

By EditorJun 16, 2016
San Juan Capistrano, CA - This town of around 35,000 in Orange County, California boasts a burgeoning Latino population of nearly 40%. City council members have been historically elected at-large by city voters, but a recent lawsuit field by a Latino voting rights group sparked debate and in the end, city officials agreed to elect council members by district; five districts to be exact.       The elections for the districts are staggered; two seats will be up this year. The remaining in 2018. Once all of the districts are in place, Latinos will comprise a substantial portion of two districts,…
Local Redistricting, Redistricting, , , ,
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Advocacy Groups in Wisconsin Want A Court Order Allowing Voters Without ID To Vote

Advocacy Groups in Wisconsin Want A Court Order Allowing Voters Without ID To Vote

By EditorJun 15, 2016
Madison, Wisconsin - A 2011 voter identification law is still tied up in court, even after clearing at least one challenge in federal court.  Civil rights and voter's groups are still aiming for the law however, and have requested the court to issue a temporary order that would allow voters without the proper to identification, to vote in the upcoming elections. The law at issue requires the following types of identification to cast a vote at the polls in Wisconsin: Wisconsin driver's license or state ID card; a U.S. passport, military ID card; a college ID meeting certain requirements; a…
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NAACP-LDF Releases Catalog of Voting Law Changes Since Shelby Decision

NAACP-LDF Releases Catalog of Voting Law Changes Since Shelby Decision

By EditorJun 14, 2016
Washington, DC - Last week the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund released this report detailing state, county, and local voting changes proposed or implemented,  during the past three years since the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder halting the Department of Justice's preclearance system that operated to preapprove voting changes made by covered states. As the report indicates, a majority of preclearance activity (80%) had been to approve voting changes on the local level. Dramatic reduction in the number of polling places, and widespread purging of voter rolls have been on the rise since Shelby. The report…
Race in Redistricting, Redistricting Race Rules, , , ,
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Virginia Supreme Court to Mull Governor’s Felon Voting Rights Expansion

Virginia Supreme Court to Mull Governor’s Felon Voting Rights Expansion

By EditorJun 10, 2016
Virginia - The Virginia Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe’s April order restoring voting rights to over 200,000 of the state's felons in a special session scheduled for Tuesday, July 19. The Virginia Attorney General plans a four-point defense of the governor's authority under the State constitution to restore felon voting rights. Read more in the Richmond Free Press. The change is sweeping: Nearly half of African-Americans in Virginia, which makeup 20% of the population - are affected by the civil war era law. Read more in the New York Times. Watch a local television…
Redistricting,
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Several Ohio Election Administration Practices Invalidated by Courts

Several Ohio Election Administration Practices Invalidated by Courts

By EditorJun 10, 2016
Ohio - A federal judge blocked several restrictions on the casting and counting of absentee ballots instituted by the Republican Secretary of State.  This is the second defeat to GOP-backed voting restrictions in the state in the last two weeks. GOP voting procedures have been rebuffed on constitutional grounds by both Democrat and Republican judges.  Officials still plan to appeal. Read more in the Columbus Dispatch. Another federal judge restored the state's elimination of a specific time period that eligible voters could register and cast an absentee ballot on the same day. A shortened early voting period was also restored. Read more in…
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Gerrymandering Explained by MTV

Gerrymandering Explained by MTV

By EditorMay 12, 2016
How does MTV explain gerrymandering to its core audience? With Oreo cookies of course.  Other snacks are used to portray how students in a class my divided based on their common snack interests.  The analogy leaves out crucial one-person one-vote issues, but provides a quick visual into the electoral map-drawing process.  Despite the shaky electoral analogies, the article discusses fairness issues in map-drawing and the role of commissions and ballot initiatives. Interestingly, the article reports on an initiative in North Carolina to demonstrate "good-government" redistricting via a panel of retired judges who will redraw the states' electoral map. This mock commission is…
Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, , , ,
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Arizona County Announces Reform Commission After Primary Election Disaster

Arizona County Announces Reform Commission After Primary Election Disaster

By EditorMay 11, 2016
Arizona - After a fiasco of a primary election, Maricopa County, Arizona will establish a new election reform commission to provide "oversight" over election officials.  Maricopa's election "disaster" included long waiting lines to vote after a nearly 70% decrease in polling places, errors on the ballots, and flawed registration procedures.  The Phoenix New Times reports the county recorder and Secretary of State are resisting calls for resignation after this election administration failure. Read more.
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