Voting Policy

“We have to fix that,” President Obama said on Election Night 2012, following widespread reports of long lines at polling stations. In the beginning of 2014, a report from the bipartisan Presidential Commission on Election Administration (PCEA) recommended a number of common sense reforms to improve voting, including increasing opportunities for early voting.

Voting-LinesThere is a growing, bipartisan consensus that reform is needed. However, pro-voting reforms like early voting continue to meet strong partisan resistance, and many states continue to pass voter ID laws and other restrictions that place hurdles between eligible Americans and the ballot box. Meanwhile, millions of citizens—disproportionately Americans of color—are prevented from voting at all due to strict felony disenfranchisement laws.

Project Vote believes our democracy works best when everyone participates, and we work to implement common-sense reforms that make it easier, not harder, for every eligible American to cast a ballot that counts.

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Project Vote’s Comments on Ohio’s Proposed Directive on 17-Year-Old Primary Voting

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Project Vote and the Fair Elections Legal Network submitted comments on Ohio Sec. of State Husted's proposed directive barring 17-year-old preregistered voters from casting ballots in Ohio's primary election. Read more

Letter to Congress in Support of Voting Rights Advancement Act

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Project Vote letter in support of the Voting Rights Advancement Act, a bill to reinstate the vital protections of the Voting Rights Act. Read more

Legislative Threats and Opportunities: Spring 2015

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To date in 2015, lawmakers in 24 states have proposed at least 52 bills that threaten voting rights, while lawmakers in 36 states have proposed to improve election administration in some way... Read more

Americans with Photo ID: A Breakdown of Demographic Characteristics

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With voter ID a hot-button topic in state legislatures, Project Vote is pleased today to release a new research memo that provides a snapshot of who in America actually possesses government-issued photo ID. Read more

Fact Sheet: Early Voting

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A summary of the benefits, challenges, and existing laws concerning early voting. Read more

Model Bill: Early Voting

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This document provides a template for lawmakers and other interested parties to draft bills relating to implementing efficient, effective early voting policies. Read more

Letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Voting Rights Amendment Act

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On June 24, 2014, Project Vote submitted a letter to Senators Patrick Leahy and Chuck Grassley, and members of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary regarding the Voting Rights Amendment Act. Read more

Letter to Ohio Governor John Kasich Regarding SB 238 and SB 205

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On February 20, 2014, Project Vote wrote Ohio Governor John Kasich, urging him to veto election bills SB 205 and SB 238, which would affect early voting in the state. Read more

Policy Paper: Photo ID Laws

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In this policy paper, Catherine M. Flanagan and Estelle H. Rogers look at photo voter ID laws, the concerns with voter ID policies, and litigation challenging strict photo ID laws. Read more

Testimony Regarding Wisconsin Election Bill SB 324

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On October 31, 2013, Project Vote submitted testimony to the Wisconsin legislature regarding Senate Bill 324, a bill that would adversely affect in-person absentee voting. Read more