In its ruling on Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder on Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court erased fundamental protections against racial discrimination in voting that have been critical in protecting our democracy for more than four decades.
Early this month, a plethora of voter suppression bills were introduced by members of the North Carolina Legislature.
For many state legislatures, March marks the half-way point of their legislative session, some are already adjourned and some seem to never end.
“Section 5 has helped transform American democracy from a restricted, segregated past to one of remarkable inclusion,” said MacNamara. “The enormity of this threat cannot be overstated. The importance of the outcome of this case cannot be overstated."
Voting rights have been under attack in state legislatures across the country for more than a decade and there are no signs of it letting up in 2013. Indeed 2013 could be a year that sets back voting rights more than all of the attacks of the past decade combined.
Only a few short weeks have passed since Election Day, but it already feels like a lifetime ago. No longer are voters in swing states subjected to nonstop political ads, and the evening news is once again covering a host of national and international issues instead of just wall-to-wall coverage of the presidential campaign. But, Election Day was as much a starting line as it was an end point. Now is the time to reflect back on the 2012 election and look toward what’s to come in 2013.
As voters across the country prepare to head to the polls tomorrow, we at the League of Women Voters are doing everything we can to make sure everyone has the information they need to successfully cast a vote.
Flying from Miami to Milwaukee in October presents some challenges when it comes to packing, and while I certainly noticed the drop in temperature, my welcome to Wisconsin could not have been warmer! It is a true pleasure to meet with so many committed League volunteers as I crisscross the country this fall.
Today, South Carolina voters were the victorious when a U.S. Federal District Court blocked implementation of the state’s new voter photo identification law for the November 6th general election.
