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.

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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!

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Finally, an Actual Case of Voter Fraud

…and it's the Indiana Secretary of State. Yesterday Secretary of State Charles White was indicted on felony charges of voter fraud. White took office in January, and it appears that he used his ex-wife's address--rather than his own--on official documents, including his voter registration. Doing so allowed White to keep his seat on the town council even after moving out of the district.

The charges include voter fraud, perjury and theft (related to his town council salary). White insists that the address was simply a mistake. If convicted of any count he would automatically be removed from office. So far White plans to remain in office while contesting the charges, despite calls for his resignation from both state Democrats and Republicans. Governor Mitch Daniels, who is also a Republican, said "It would be neither credible nor appropriate for the state's top elections official to continue to perform his duties while contesting criminal charges, some of them under the very laws the secretary of state implements."

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