Get Out the Vote Tools for 2013

Currently, 44 states have voter registration lookup tools and 48 have polling place finders. Wouldn't it be great if this (and other) election information was available in one place? You're in luck, it is! Visit our 50 state map to:

• Find Your Poll
• Check Your Voter Registration
• Learn About Voter ID Requirements

You can also access other state-specific voting resources, including contact information for your local elections office, details for voters with special circumstances, and early voting opportunities.

November 5th is less than a month away. Although they may be registered, voters still need to know where to go and what to take with them. Help your community vote by being prepared to answer these and other questions. You can also help registered voters request an absentee ballot.

In many states it's not too late to register! Although National Voter Registration Month is over, many state registration deadlines have not yet passed. Depending on where you live, you might be able to register online or on Election Day itself. Learn more about voting in your state and ensure your community is prepared for the 2013 election cycle.

2012 Ballot Measures: Elections

November 6, 2012 was the first presidential election since the Citizens United ruling by the Supreme Court in 2010. Consequentially, the 2012 election was more expensive than any other election in our history by more than $700 million.

In an apparent reaction to the ruling, some states voted on limiting or eliminating corporate contributions to elections. Voters in Montana and Colorado approved laws that would prohibit or eliminate corporate contributions and expenditures in both state and national elections. They also sought to charge state lawmakers with asking congressional delegates to overrule Citizens United by amending the U.S. Constitution.

Amendment 2 in Minnesota was an extremely important measure for the future of the state's elections. Amendment 2 would have imposed a strict photo ID requirement at the polls, and although support for the amendment was strong over the summer, it ultimately failed by a few points. This show of support for voters' rights at the polls followed on the heels of Maine voters restoring Election Day Registration in November 2011 after the legislature eliminated it earlier that summer. It seems that given the chance, voters are willing to make changes to election policy and ensure access to the polls.

This post was written by Nonprofit VOTE Intern Lauren Dobbs. Lauren graduated from Boston University with a BA in International Relations in 2011 and will be attending graduate school next fall to obtain an MSc in Development Studies.

Register Now for Thursday's Webinar

There's still time to register for this week's webinar!

States Move to Restrict Voting: How Nonprofits Can Defend the Right to Vote
Thursday February 23rd, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

Last year there was an unprecedented nationwide effort to pass legislation that creates voter registration barriers and limits access to the polls. Unfortunately, that effort continues in 2012. Many of these new laws require voters to provide photo ID at the polls, mandate proof of citizenship before registering to vote, and place severe restrictions on third party voter registration drives. Join us for more on these issues and how you can educate your constituents about the changes, as well as ideas for helping to counter them.

Featured Presenter: Ben Hovland is a Senior Attorney with the Fair Elections Legal Network.

ID Requirements Pose Challenge for Elderly

A recent article from KansasReporter.org described the situation of 50 residents at Westview Manor, a Kansas adult care facility. Due to the state's new voter identification requirements, the vast majority could be unable to vote in this year's election.

Only 9 residents have current ID cards and just two have birth certificates that can be used to obtain an ID card. That leaves more than 35 currently registered voters without sufficient ID. Without identification, these individuals will be unable to cast a ballot.

The Executive Director of the Westview Manor noted that the residents "don't go shopping on the Internet. They don't use credit cards. They don't have drivers' licenses. They have $62 a month spending money, which makes it very difficult to spend $27 for birth certificate."

Westview Manor residents aren't the only ones who will be left out if they cannot get ID. In addition to the elderly, minorities, young people, and low-income voters are also less likely to have the necessary ID.

Kansas' ID requirement is new this year and was passed by the state legislature in 2011. Starting January 1, 2013, voters will also be required to prove citizenship before registering to vote. However, the Kansas Secretary of State is asking legislators to move up the implementation date to June 15.

Nearly 149,000 new Kansas voters registered in the four months preceding the 2008 presidential election, and 6,200 new voters registered each month in 2011, according to election statistics from the Secretary of State's office. We'll have to wait and see how the new ID requirements affect the 2012 registration and turnout statistics.

(Image Source)

Voter ID Passes in Mississippi

On Tuesday, Mississippi voters passed a constitutional amendment that requires voters to show government issued photo identification in order to vote. The initiative includes provisions for free photo IDs, but as with all photo ID laws, the impact on voters will depend on implementation. Although many of the states that passed voter ID laws this year offer free IDs, voters still face hurdles in acquiring proper ID.

Last month, a 91-year-old Tennessee woman couldn't get a photo ID because she was physically unable to stand in a long line. A South Carolina man does not have an official birth certificate (he was born at home in 1926) and was therefore denied a free state ID. It would cost $150 for him to get the underlying documents necessary to secure a "free" ID. In Wisconsin, Department of Transportation employees are not allowed to tell residents about the free photo ID for voting, unless the individual specifically asks.

However, not all states make voter ID overly burdensome. For example, in Michigan, voters who show up without photo ID can still vote a regular ballot if they sign an affidavit. State-by-state variations in voter ID laws make it impossible to determine how the amendment will affect voters in Mississippi, and if they will be able to get proper ID in time to vote.

Your nonprofit can ensure that no one misses the opportunity to vote because of ID requirements--help your clients and constituents learn more about voter ID in your state.

(Image Source)

Register Now for Thursday's Webinar

There's still time to register for this week's webinar on recent election law changes!

States Move to Restrict Voting - How Nonprofits Can Defend the Right to Vote
Thursday October 27th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

2011 has seen an unprecedented nationwide effort to pass legislation that creates voter registration barriers and limits access to the polls. New laws require voters to provide photo ID at the polls, mandate proof of citizenship before registering to vote, and place severe restrictions on third party voter registration drives. These new regulations have the potential to disenfranchise millions of Americans, and will disproportionately affect lower-income, minority, youth, and older voters. Join us for a discussion of these troubling trends and efforts to counter them.

Featured Presenter: Megan Donovan is a staff attorney with the Fair Elections Legal Network. She has also worked as a legislative advocate for the Center for Reproductive Rights and a contract attorney for The Campaign Legal Center.

New Hurdles: States Restrict Voting Rights

Earlier this month, the Brennan Center published a new report on "Voting Law Changes in 2012" that details and analyzes the bills that have been proposed and passed since the beginning of this year. Most have made it much more difficult for citizens to both register and vote.

Restrictions have come in many forms, including:

• Photo ID requirements. Some states require voters to show government-issued photo ID that as many as one in ten voters do not have.
• Cuts to early voting, a hugely popular innovation used by millions of Americans. 
• Proof of citizenship laws that require a voter to provide proof of citizenship in order to register.
• Reversals of felon disenfranchisement reforms. Once again millions of individuals with past criminal convictions will be barred from participating in the political process. In fact, the report states that "Disenfranchisement after criminal conviction remains the single most significant barrier to voting rights in the United States."

The Brennan Center estimates that more than five million Americans could be affected by the new rules already put in place this year. The report also found that the restrictions will most heavily burden "young, minority, and low-income voters, as well as…voters with disabilities"—the populations that many of our nonprofits serve and "who have been historically locked out of our electoral system."

While many laws have been passed, some have faced fierce resistance from voters. In Ohio and Maine, citizen campaigns have forced referendums on new election laws in both states.

For more on this year's restrictive voting laws, tune in for our October 27th webinar, States Restrict Voting: How Nonprofits Can Defend the Right to Vote. In the meantime, encourage your clients to register to vote and ensure that they understand your state's laws.

(Image Source)

October Webinar: Defending the Right to Vote

Our October webinar will address new election laws that make it difficult for countless voters to register and cast their ballot. Many nonprofits are now wondering how to best help their clients participate under the new rules, but are also seeking information on how they can fight back against restrictive voting laws.

States Move to Restrict Voting - How Nonprofits Can Defend the Right to Vote
Thursday October 27th, 2:00-3:00pm Eastern

2011 has seen an unprecedented nationwide effort to pass legislation that creates voter registration barriers and limits access to the polls. New laws require voters to provide photo ID at the polls, mandate proof of citizenship before registering to vote, and place severe restrictions on third party voter registration drives. (In some states, these laws have not yet been implemented and are under review by the Justice Department to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act.) These new regulations have the potential to disenfranchise millions of Americans, and will disproportionately affect lower-income, minority, youth, and older voters. Join us for a discussion of these troubling trends and efforts to counter them.

Featured Presenter: Megan Donovan is a staff attorney with the Fair Elections Legal Network. She has also worked as a legislative advocate for the Center for Reproductive Rights and a contract attorney for The Campaign Legal Center.

Wisconsin Board Sticks up for Students Being Allowed to Vote

From Electionline.org

A Wisconsin election board oks special stickers to help students with a new law passed this year in Wisconsin that makes their current students IDs invalid as ID to vote on Election Day.

"The Government Accountability Board, which overseas elections for the state of Wisconsin, unanimously adopted a policy this week that said universities could put stickers on existing student IDs to include information necessary to make the IDs compliant with the state’s new voter ID law. Many of the state’s student IDs do not include signatures or an expiration date which is required by the state’s voter ID law. The stickers will allow students to use their IDs without universities having to completely overhaul their ID systems."

Ohio Rejects Voter ID Requirements

Although a number of states have enacted photo ID laws since January--Alabama, Kansas, Rhode Island (after days of confusion), South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Wisconsin--not everyone has jumped on the bandwagon. Governors have vetoed voter ID laws in Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Minnesota.

Ohio is the latest of Nonprofit VOTE's partner states to reject voter ID laws that would mandate photo ID, despite the fact that many--particularly older and younger voters--don't have one. Earlier this summer, a voter ID provision was removed from election legislation in Ohio at the behest of Secretary of State Jon Husted who said that the "rigid" photo ID provision "does little to protect against fraud and excludes legally registered voters' ballots from counting." And two weeks ago, an Ohio House leader acknowledged that a separate attempt to pass voter ID legislation also failed.

Although asking voters to show a photo ID may be a reasonable requirement in the long run, the rapid implementation of such laws is troublesome. It is essential that state governments first ensure all eligible voters have free photo IDs before making them a requirement to vote, particularly because the financial barrier is just one obstacle. Voters must still invest time and other resources into acquiring identification--consider how long your last trip to the DMV was--which many simply cannot afford to do, especially on short notice. Some states have started to make IDs available, but information about how to obtain one, as well as long lines have already thwarted some.

Track the status of voter ID laws in every state, and remember that as laws change, nonprofits can help ensure that their clients are aware of new requirements, and thus able to successfully cast their ballot on Election Day. Learn more about registering to vote and ID requirements in your state.


Tweet

Nonprofits, Are You for or Against Voting?

Earlier this month the Nonprofit Quarterly posted an article on "Nonprofits Dedicated to Making it More Difficult for People to Register and Vote." The author rightly points out that "our nation needs people to vote," and that's exactly why Nonprofit VOTE exists.

Because of their relationships with clients and communities--as well as their nonpartisan missions--we think that nonprofits are well-positioned to reach underserved and underrepresented individuals. While our work encourages civic participation and voter engagement, the Nonprofit Quarterly describes another type of nonprofit--one focused on "pushing in exactly the opposite direction."

We often hear stories of voter fraud, but not nearly enough about the greater problem of vote denial. Each election, millions of eligible voters are unable to vote simply because of a problem with voter registration. This issue can be solved by allowing voters to make any necessary changes at the polls on Election Day. Ten states and the the District of Columbia already allow this, including Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota (which has no registration requirement), Wisconsin, and Wyoming. An even more effective solution would be universal voter registration.

Crying "voter fraud," some states are pushing for beefed up voter-ID laws. Unfortunately, the type of fraud these laws would address (the impersonation of another voter at the polls) is exceedingly rare. In fact, only 24 people were convicted of or pleaded guilty to illegal voting between 2002 and 2005, an average of eight people a year.

However, voter-ID laws often disenfranchise many eligible voters--primarily people of color, young people, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. Among Americans over the age of 65, 18% do not have a photo ID, and fully a quarter of African Americans and 15% of low-income voters also don't carry ID.

Nobody wants voter fraud. Therefore, stiff penalties are the best deterrent, and have been so effective that evidence of violations is minimal to none. Nonprofits can not only help people register and participate, but can also support efforts to modernize registration and ensure that all eligible Americans are enfranchised. Get started today!

(Image Source)

Share

New Report: HAVA Impact on First-Time Voters

A new report from the EAC looks at the HAVA-mandated ID requirements for these first-time voters when they go to the polls. View "Case Studies on the Impact of the Help America Vote Act's Identification Requirements for First-Time Voters" (PDF), U.S. Election Assistance Commission (May 2008)

Georgia Voter ID Challenged Again

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Democrats have filed another suit challenging Georgia's voter ID law. See the Election Law @Moritz case page for more information and case documents.

MO Session Ends Without Passing Voter ID Reform

Missouri has ended its legislative session without taking action on a bill that would have required voters to provide proof of citizenship to cast a ballot.

Atlanta Democrats File Lawsuit Against Georgia's voter ID Law

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Democrats have filed another suit challenging Georgia's voter ID law. See the EL@M case page for more information and case documents. [Read More]

Atlanta Democrats File Lawsuit Against Georgia's voter ID Law

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Democrats have filed another suit challenging Georgia's voter ID law. See the EL@M case page for more information and case documents. [Read More]

RI Gov. Carcieri Calls for Photo ID at the Polls

On June 18th, Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri (R) appealed to that would require voters to produce photo identification at the polls.

Link
http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2008/06/18/carcieri_proposes_photo_id_requirement_for_voters/

LWV-Indiana File Lawsuit Against Voter ID Law

On June 20, the Indiana League of Women Voters filed a lawsuit (League of Women Voters of Indiana vs. Secretary of State Todd Rokita) in state court, alleging that the Indiana law requiring voters at the polls to show government photo-ID violates the Indiana Constitution. Read the complaint.
Link
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/blogdocs/photo%20ID%20complaint.pdf

Image
http://www.courttv.com/graphics2/photos/trials/supreme-court/full-coverage/include/supreme-court-include.jpg