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Useful Links on Voting and Election Reform
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Fair Vote, a non-partisan nonprofit, released What You Won't Learn From The Polls. This very interesting report is a compilation of short essays on varies aspects of the election. Chapters include such titles as; What Do Votes Have to Do With It: Democrats majorities may not win seat majorities, Monopoly Politics: How on Thursday we will predict nearly all House winners… for 2008, and Slouching Toward Diversity: Who’s to gain when a few more white men lose?. The essays are based on the analysis presented in the report Monopoly Politics 2006.
Another piece of worthwhile reading material can be found at www.projectvote.org. Project Vote released two briefing papers that investigate any expected problems in the 2006 General Election covering nine states. The nine states discussed are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The first report identifies the anticipated problems in each state which are based on election procedures and concerns from the 2006 primary and 2004 general election. The second report examines the different voting machines used by each jurisdiction and problems associated with each machine.
The Nov. 7 election will test our nation's evolving voting technology as well as the effectiveness of voters' rights protections under federal law. Nonpartisan nonprofits can help by providing information to voters and reporting problems. Here are some resources to help: Read More
Mainstreet Moms (theMMOB.org), Working Assets,and VoteTrustUSA have joined together in creating a nationwide campaign asking American voters to sign up to work the polls. Poll Workers For Democracy seeks to engage voters, and respond to the shortage of poll works by recruiting and training people to work at the polls nationwide so that the election on November 7 runs as smoothly as possible. New electronic voting machines and ID requirements increase any of problems at the polls has, and therefore the need for capable, educated poll workers to help avoid and solve such problems. Those who sign up will be paid, and will be asked to receptive of all events during the day so that they can fill out an online survey of their observations. Their website also provides helpful suggestions of what to look out for on Election Day, and guides to requirements, laws, and voting systems by state. Sign Up to Volunteer!
Updated Sept. 29, 2006 Nonprofits across the country are mobilizing to fight voter suppression efforts. Recently enacted state laws, one proposed regulation and a bill in Congress have united some nonprofits in an effort to curb government sponsored voter discrimination and suppression. Challenges brought by nonprofits have resulted in court victories, and decisions on proposed regulations are pending. These battles are being waged in a pivotal election year, amidst a backdrop of national efforts to curb voting registration, and a recent effort by some members of Congress to limit the reach of the landmark Voting Rights Act Reauthorization. This article provides a roundup of recent decisions and nonprofit efforts.
See the full article on the OMB Watch website.
Read MoreAn AP story reported that a federal lawsuit filed in Cleveland charges that Ohio’s Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell, and Barbara Riley, the Director of the Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS), violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) requiring that voter registration opportunities are available in public assistance offices. Their research has found that low income Ohio citizens were not given assistance in registering to vote, especially in the most populous counties. As well, the lawsuit says that Ken Blackwell and Barbara Riley were advised of the lack of voter registration problem in February, yet nothing was done to resolve it
"The National Voting Rights Institute, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs, based it in part on research supplied by ACORN that claims interviews ACORN conducted outside of public assistance agencies found that few low-income people were offered an opportunity to register to vote."
This afternoon the House passed H.R.4844, the "Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006," which would require all citizens to present a photo ID when voting. After voters have faced wide spread trouble at the polls through the primary season caused by human errors or by voting machines, an additional barrier could be in place if this would become law. Many Americans, such as the elderly or those who do not drive might not easily be able to attain the proper identification.
"The bill would require everyone to present a photo ID before voting in federal elections by 2008. By 2010 voters would have to have photo IDs that certified they were citizens. In response to criticism that this would be a burden for the poor, the bill stipulates that states must provide the identification cards free of charge to those who can't afford them."
Steny Hoyer accurately stated; "This bill is tantamount to a 21st century poll tax," said Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md. "It will disenfranchise large number of legal voters."
The Washington Post story can be found here.The Aug. 29 Miami Herald reports that "Third-party groups such as the Florida League of Women Voters, which had stopped voter registration drives because of stiff fines for violations, are back in business, thanks to a federal judge in Miami."
"U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz on Monday deemed unconstitutional a state voter registration law that affected nonpartisan groups -- but not political parties registered in Florida. Seitz issued a preliminary injunction to stop the state from enforcing the law and rejected the state of Florida's bid to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the league and others last spring."
People for the American Way issued a report on Aug. 24, 2006 detailing the "new Jim Crow" tactics being used to suppress voter participation. To see the press release click here. Or read the full report.
See this Aug. 14, 2006 Washington Post column by Jabari Asim Still Battling Voter Suppression
According to Salon.com, "new photo I.D. laws, the criminalizing of voter registration drives, and database purges [may] have disqualified up to 40 percent of newly registered voters from voting" in six states. Be sure to read this article, especially if you vote in Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, California, Florida or Missouri.