The danger is that the problems experienced in 2007’s generally low-turnout elections will be magnified and multiplied under the pressure of 2008’s highly contested national election. There is still time to address these problems before ballots start to be cast in the 2008 general election and create an electoral system that facilitates and protects participation in elections rather than raising barriers to it.
See the links below to find reports, bills and contact information that address these election issues.
Quick Links:Contact:
This week, Senator John Kerry and 12 other senators introduced a bill outlawing voter caging. Read more in this Nov. 5 Brad Blog entry or click here to contact the office of Sen. Kerry.
Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) recently introduced legislation that would ban use of voter ID during federal elections. If you would like to express your concerns about voter ID and voter suppression issues, click here to contact Ellison's office.
Reports:
“The Truth About Voter Fraud.” The Brennan Center for Justice.
“Maintaining Current and Accurate Voter Lists.” Project Vote.
“The Politics of Voter Fraud.” Project Vote.
“Restrictive Voter ID Requirements.” Project Vote.
“Caging Democracy.” Project Vote.
In Other News:
“TALLAHASSEE -- A sweeping new elections law that forced counties to switch to optical scan voting machines is coming under scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Justice, which wants to make sure that voter registration changes authorized by state lawmakers do not unfairly discriminate against minority voters.” Read more of this Miami Herald report here.
“It's not the neon lights or hip-hop beats that make this an unusual whistle stop in the November 2008 presidential contest. It's the youthful faces of those in the crowd.” Read more on the slowly increasing youth electorate in this Reuters report.
Erin Ferns is a Research and Policy Analyst with Project Vote’s Strategic Writing and Research Department (SWORD).
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