Take Action Topics
Voters Protection
NOTICE: Pass-through money for local league projects aimed at preventing the disenfranchisement of eligible citizesn, particularly minorities, the poor and the elderly, is now available. Grants must be under $500 and all projects must be completed before January 25, 2012. For more information, please contact Linda Kaiser.
Public Advocacy for Voter Protection
The League of Women Voters is predicated on the idea that informed participation of all citizens in the electoral process is a central tenet of democracy. Since 2006 LWVMO has participated in Public Advocacy for Voter Protection (PAVP), an LWVUS Ed Fund project aimed at protecting at-risk communities of voters from onerous voter identification rules and other measures that place obstacles before voters.
In 2011 the Missouri legislature approved a constitutional amendment proposal that will go to voters in November 2012. The ballot summary approved by legislators asks voters: "Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to adopt the Voter Protection Act and allow the General Assembly to provide by general law for advance voting prior to election day, voter photo identification requirements, and voter requirements based on whether one appears to vote in person or by absentee ballot?"
Four groups that work in coalition with LWVMO have filed suit to prevent the measure from going to voters. The basis of the suit is that the summary "deceives and misleads voters" in several ways. Although the summary refers to it as the "Voter Protection Act," that wording never appears in the constitutional amendment, and in actuality the effect of the legislation is the opposite of its title. The suit also challenges the inclusion of a very limited early voting period and minimal forms of photo identification.
Unless the lawsuit is successful, LWVMO will be called on to make sure that voters understand the proposal and its implications. Read more about it at www.firedupmissouri.com/node/14362
Links: Public Advocacy for Voter Protection: An LWVUS Ed Fund project aimed at protecting at-risk communities of voters from onerous voter identification rules and other measures that place obstacles in the way of voting. The project focuses on:
1) Opposing photo ID and documentary proof of citizenship
2) Improving administration of statewide database systems
3) Guarding against undue restrictions on voter registration drives
4) Improving polling place management
5) Improving poll worker training and strengthening poll workers
For more info go to: www.lwv.org/our-work/improving-elections/voter-protection
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law: a non-partisan public policy and law institute that focuses on fundamental issues of democracy and justice. Their work ranges from voting rights to redistricting reform, from access to the courts to presidential power in the fight against terrorism. A singular institution?part think tank, part public interest law firm, part advocacy group?the Brennan Center combines scholarship, legislative and legal advocacy, and communications to win meaningful, measurable change in the public sector. For more Info go to: www.brennancenter.org/
Project Vote: a national nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) that works to empower, educate, and mobilize low-income, minority, youth, and other marginalized and under-represented voters. For more Info go to: www.projectvote.org/home.html
Election Law @ Moritz: a web publication that covers developments in the law of election administration-- laws dealing with voter registration, voter ID, early and absentee voting, provisional balloting, poll workers and polling place procedures, recounts and election contests, and other related issues. Their primary target audience includes lawyers and legal scholars who focus on these issues, as well as journalists in the elections field. Through their work, they hope to help this audience better identify and understand the true issues confronting the world of election administration. For more Info go to: http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/about.php
electionline.org: a project of the Pew Center on the States, is the nation’s only nonpartisan, non-advocacy website providing up-to-the-minute news and analysis on election reform. For more Info go to: www.pewcenteronthestates.org/initiatives_
detail.aspx?initiativeID=34044
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC): established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). EAC is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information about election administration. EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as audits the use of HAVA funds
For more Info go to: www.eac.gov .
National Conference of State Legislatures (ncsl): provides information about state governing bodies, current legislation and reports, surveys, and policies. Here is a link to the NCLS main site: http://www.ncsl.org/ There you’ll find an excellent tool to track legislation in your state and in other states as well. www.ncsl.org/programs/legismgt/elect/elections.cfm
National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS): the nation's oldest, nonpartisan professional organization for public officials. NASS has key initiatives in the areas of elections and voting, state business services, electronic government and digital archiving
For more info go to: http://nass.org/ and click on “Elections.”
Join / Volunteer
