Election Day Issues
As a safeguard for eligible voters who, for some reason, are not listed on the voter registration list at the polling place on Election Day, the federal Help America Vote Act mandates that each state implement a system of "fail-safe voting" using provisional ballots. Although provisional ballots were intended to ensure that every eligible voter has an opportunity to vote and to have his or her vote counted, a number of states have implemented provisional ballot systems in a way that creates election administration problems and results in the disenfranchisement of many eligible voters.The Brennan Center has been lobbying and litigating in a number of states to ensure that provisional ballots provide a meaningful safeguard for eligible voters.
League of Women Voters of Ohio v. Blackwell
The Center filed suit on behalf of Ohio voters to stop Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell from proceeding with the State’s plan for handling provisional ballots in the upcoming November 2 election.
We don’t need more reasons to worry about foreclosure rates. Digby, nonetheless, citing this AP/CBSnews.com
story, provides one: the affect foreclosures could have on voting rolls....
We Want You…to be a Poll Worker
In an election year, the answer to “what can I do?” can be gratifyingly immediate…
Protecting Votes, One Call at a Time
How many lawyers does it take to run an Election Protection Hotline? You can come up with your own punchline, but the actual answer is about thirty at a time, in five hour shifts....
Illustrations by Risko
Court Declines to Block Florida’s No-Match No-Vote Law
Lawsuit prompted changes to restrictive voter registration rule, but revised law could still disenfranchise thousands of eligible Florida voters in 2008. Ruling poses latest obstacle to eligible Florida voters seeking to register and vote in ‘08
Election Protection Off to a Great Start Assisting
Nearly 400 Hotline Calls So Far Reporting Primary Election Barriers.
Brennan Center Lauds Federal Election Day Registration Bill
The Election Day Registration bill introduced by Senators Feingold and Klobuchar, and Representative Ellison would allow citizens to register to vote for all federal elections by registering on Election Day at polling places.
Letter in Support of H.R. 6339
Letter to Rep. Lofgren in support of H.R. 6339, the Federal Employees Deserve to Volunteer on the Elections Act (FEDVOTE) of 2008.
Testimony of Andrew Stengel Before New York City Council Committee on Governmental Operations
Testimony of Andrew Stengel before the New York City Council Committee on Governmental Operations
An Agenda for Americas Voters: Election Reform in the 110th Congress
This federal election reform agenda is the product of years of research and experience by the civil rights, voting rights, civic participation, and progressive advocacy community.
Know Your Voting Rights Issues
Learn about all the issues facing the voting rights and elections community
Proof of Citizenship Requirements; Chart of State Legislation
In the most recent session (2007–2008), legislators in 19 different states have proposed proof of citizenship requirements for voter registration. The chart here, last updated on 6/19/2008, sets forth the known bills and their current status.
Summary of Election Reform Legislation in the 109th Congress
This is a brief summary of federal election reform legislation introduced in the 109th Congress. Senate bills are listed first, in order of introduction, followed by House bills. Although the descriptions of each bill are not comprehensive, each bill summary includes hyperlinks for more information.