Protecting Eligible Voters
Coinciding with the nation’s tense immigration debate of recent years is a strong belief among certain partisans that undocumented people are somehow undermining the democratic process.
Instances of non-citizens attempting to cast a ballot are extremely rare, but this drummed up fear has real consequences: it excludes legitimate voters who do not have documentary proof of citizenship, such as seniors, students living away from home, or married people who adopt the surname of their spouses.
Further, proof-of-citizenship policies essentially quash community-based voter registration drives, which are responsible for reaching large numbers of potential voters at markets, churches, and other public places where one is unlikely to carry birth certi cates and passports.
Ensuring that eligible Americans are not prevented from registering and voting due to unnecessary and discriminatory bureaucratic hurdles like proof-of-citizenship requirements is one of Project Vote’s key missions.
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Florida Purge Program Was Illegal, Rules Federal Court
Marking a major victory for Florida voters, the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled on Tuesday that Florida’s 2012 voter purge program violated federal law. Read more
Judge OKs Restrictive Voter Registration Process, Undermines Federal Voting Law
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren issued a ruling in Kris W. Kobach et al. v. United States Election Assistance Commission, stating that the EAC must fulfill requests from those states to print state-specific registration forms reflecting state proof-of-citizenship requirements. Read more
Project Vote Files to Intervene in Arizona and Kansas Effort to Change National Voter Registration Form
Seeking to protect the rights of eligible voters in Arizona and Kansas, the voting rights organization Project Vote yesterday moved to intervene in the case of Kris W. Kobach et al. v. United States Election Assistance Commission. Read more
Florida Voter Purge Lawsuit Heads Back to Court
Florida’s 2012 voter purge program goes to court again on Thursday, when a three-judge panel hears oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging the initiative. Read more
SCOTUS Sides with Landmark Voter Registration Law
Supreme Court's decision is a strong affirmation of the NVRA, but likely sets up further litigation about voter registration. Read more
Legislative Battles Over Voting Rights Continue in 2013
In a report released today, voting rights organization Project Vote analyzes all of the voting related bills introduced, passed, or rejected across the country in the first quarter of 2013, and finds that the recent trend towards disenfranchisement continues. Read more
Voter Registration Should Be Simple, But in Arizona it is Not, Says Project Vote Executive Director
"Voter registration should be a simple process for all eligible Americans, but in Arizona it is not. Arizona requires citizens to provide documentary proof of their citizenship." Read more
SCOTUS to Hear Important Case on the National Voter Registration Act
While a great deal of attention has been focused recently on the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), another vitally important voting rights issue will be argued before the justices next week. Read more
Florida Assures Court that No Eligible Citizen Will Be Wrongfully Removed from Voter Rolls Before Election
According to Secretary of State Detzner, “there is no chance that a citizen will be erroneously removed from the voter rolls before Election Day.” Read more
Fight Over Election Laws Continues in States and U.S. Congress
Continuing a trend that began after the surge of participation seen in the 2008 presidential election, partisan lawmakers have continued to push legislation that could have a negative impact on voter participation, particularly among low-income Americans and people of color. Read more