What is the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)? (Blog) 4/20/2023 This blog was written by LWV employees Lilly McGee, Jeanette Senecal, and Adam Ambrogi Ensuring elections are fair and equitable includes…
Abortion Legislation is a Democracy Issue (Blog) 3/21/2023 In June 2022, the US Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey and…, Another doctrine of US democracy is the separation of powers, in which governments are divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and…, More explicitly, the Mississippi legislature is considering legislation to restore the state’s ballot initiative process, but prohibit it from being…, In July 2022, a Utah state court temporarily enjoined the state's near-total abortion ban while the Utah Supreme Court decides its constitutionality…
Selma and Current Threats to the Voting Rights Act (Blog) 3/7/2023 This blog was updated June 20, 2023. Today marks the 58th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, when state and local police attacked hundreds of civil…, The VRA also put in place an affirmative process for voters to sue any jurisdiction for racial discrimination in voting. Section 2 of the VRA, among…, Alabama is home to a government that is currently asking the Supreme Court to eliminate key protections of Section 2 of the VRA, but it is also home…
11 Ways You Protected Democracy in 2022! (Blog) 12/15/2022 2022 was a groundbreaking year in our democracy. We witnessed: a midterm election where voters came out in droves to take a stand against…, 1. You Protected 17.7 Million Voters with Legal Action With anti-voter laws on the rise in the wake of the 2020 election, you supported our work on…, 4. You Implemented Fair Congressional Maps 2022 marked the end of the most recent redistricting cycle, during which congressional maps were drawn…, 8. You Learned More About SCOTUS Rulings, Election Laws, and More In a year filled with legal-ese and complex political strategy, you stayed…
Voter Challenge Laws as a Suppression Tactic (Blog) 12/13/2022 This blog was written by legal intern Clay Goetz. “You can’t vote here.” In some states, a verbal accusation like that is all it takes to challenge…, Pre-election challenges question a voter’s eligibility to be registered to vote. They strain the resources of the officials preparing for an election…, The Gwinnett County Board of Registrations and Elections was forced to go through each of the 37,500 claims to assess its merits just months before…, In May 2011, in Southbridge, Massachusetts, baseless challenges were filed against Latino/a voters by partisan poll watchers, leading to emergency…
The Latest Threat to the Voting Rights Act: Merrill v. Milligan (now Allen v. Milligan) (Blog) 12/8/2022 *On June 8, 2023, SCOTUS reached a positive ruling in this case, upholding a lower court ruling that Alabama must create a second majority Black…, The VRA created remarkable remedies and protections to ensure that no one is prevented from participating in the political process because of their…, Cases brought under Section 2 have historically involved two types of violations: 1) Vote dilution; and 2) Vote denial…, Merrill v. Milligan is a straightforward vote dilution case, with an outcome dictated by Supreme Court precedent. As Justice Kagan noted during oral…
Language Access is Key to Voting Rights (Blog) 11/23/2022 The midterm election has come and gone, but voting rights are still top of mind, especially for pro-democracy groups like the League. Even though not…, Language and Voter Access Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) requires that states or political subdivisions provide translated voting…, Eligible voters deserve equal access to register and vote under the law. Increasing the language accessibility of voting materials allows voters to…
Reproductive Rights Are on the Ballot (Blog) 11/1/2022 In June 2022, the US Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey and…, Which States Have Reproductive Rights on the Ballot? Kansas Unlike the other five ballot measures, Kansas voters already voted on a…, Montana Montana voters will vote on a legislatively referred state statute (LR-131), known as the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act. Adoption…, Michigan’s Constitution currently protects the rights to equal protection and due process. A Michigan court pointed to these rights to block the…
LWV Hosts 900 High School & Community College Registration Events Ahead of Midterms (Blog) 9/6/2022 The League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF) has tapped into the power of young people through its Youth Voter Registration project since 2010.…, Leagues have also stepped outside of the classroom to reach youth, as in LWV of Greater Omaha. “Our highest turnout for Voter Registration at a…
DC Reproductive Rights Depend on Statehood (Blog) 8/18/2022 This blog was written by Anne Anderson and Kathy Chiron of the LWV of DC. In August 2022, Kansans came out in droves to reject a proposed amendment…, Abortion Justice in DC In fact, Congress recently passed a budget bill that prevents DC from using locally raised taxes to help low-income…