Voter Suppression

Racial Justice Advocates Argue Appeals Court Should Affirm Lower Court’s Decision to Stop Use of County Line on New Jersey’s Primary Ballots in June Primary (Press Release)

NEWARK – In an amicus curiae brief filed today, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and Campaign Legal Center – on behalf of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, Salvation and Social Justice, New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, New Jersey Policy Perspective, AAPI New Jersey, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and Asian American Advancing Justice | AAJC (collectively, “Amici”) – asked the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to affirm the district court’s ruling in the case of Kim v. Hanlon.

REPORT: Trends from 2023's Legislative Sessions (Blog)

The legislative landscape of 2023 was a whirlwind of activity, with new laws that both empower and challenge democracy on the fronts of voting rights, reproductive rights, and so much more. Our report "Trends from 2023 Legislative Sessions" shows the ever-changing legislative landscape, shedding light on how things are changing across the country at the state level of government.

League of Women Voters of Ohio files federal lawsuit over election law (News Clips)

This story was originally published by Spectrum News.

The League of Women Voters Ohio is filing a joint-lawsuit challenging the part of the law that limits who can deliver an absentee ballot to the board of elections.

Voting Rights Groups File Federal Lawsuit Challenging Ohio HB 458 for Violating Americans with Disabilities Act (Press Release)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The League of Women Voters of Ohio and voter Jennifer Kucera filed a federal lawsuit today challenging a provision in House Bill 458 that impacts how voters with disabilities can cast absentee ballots. The plaintiffs are represented by the ACLU of Ohio, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the law firm of Covington & Burling.

Coalition of Voting Rights, Civil Rights, and Racial Justice Groups File Brief in Federal Appeal Challenging Mississippi’s “Jim Crow” Lifetime Felony Disenfranchisement Law (Press Release)

JACKSON, Miss. — The League of Women Voters of the US, the League of Women Voters of Mississippi, the Mississippi Center for Justice, One Voice, Mississippi Votes, Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP, Black Voters Matter, Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign, Reaching and Educating for Community Hope (RECH) Foundation, Strong Arms of Mississippi, Mississippi Prison Reform Coalition, People’s Advocacy Institute, and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, filed an amicus brief late Wednesday in Hopkins v. Watson, urging the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to declare Mississippi’s lifetime felony disenfranchisement law — Section 241 — cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution. The groups are represented by pro bono attorneys Matthew Sloan, Lauren Aguiar, Shaud Tavakoli, Daniel Bleiberg, Andrew Karp, and Kathleen Shelton.

Legal organizations demand answers form Hinds County over ballot shortage issues (News Clips)

This story was originally published in Mississippi Today.

A coalition of civic and legal organizations on Thursday called for the Hinds County Election Commission to provide clear answers to voters on why numerous voting precincts in the state’s most populous county ran out of ballots during the Nov. 7 election.

The group, which includes organizations like Mississippi Votes and the League of Women Voters, told the media that some of the consortium’s representatives have attempted to schedule a meeting with the election commissioners, but the county rejected that request.

LWVTN, Tennessee Voters File Federal Lawsuit Challenging State “Bona Fide” Primary Voting Law (Press Release)

NASHVILLE – The League of Women Voters of Tennessee and Tennessee voters Victor Ashe and Phil Lawson filed a federal lawsuit today challenging state laws that require voters to be “bona fide” members of a political party to vote in the state’s open primary elections. Plaintiffs argue that the laws create confusion and intimidation because voters in Tennessee do not register with a party and there is no way to determine what “bona fide” means. The plaintiffs are represented by the law firms Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, Baker Donelson and Sidley Austin LLP, and Protect Democracy.

Ballot shortages in Mississippi created a problem for democracy on the day of a governor's election (News Clips)

This story was originally published in Associated Press.

Voting rights activists plan to meet next week to discuss legal recourse around restoring fair access to ballots, said Debbie Pantenburg, spokesperson for the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Mississippi.

“Our membership is outraged that the lack of ballots happened in a historically underrepresented region of our state,” Pantenburg said.

She said the league wants Watson to investigate and publish a report detailing how the problems happened.

Pro-democracy groups plan to monitor Shasta County election (News Clips)

This story was originally published by Public News Service.

Dora Rose, deputy director of the League of Women Voters of California, will be in Shasta County for the vote. She condemned the county's attempt to get rid of voting machines and spread fear about potential voter fraud.

North Carolina Pro-Democracy Groups File Lawsuit Against Youth Voting Restrictions (Press Release)

DURHAM — North Carolina’s Senate Bill 747 (SB747) is an unconstitutional burden on the fundamental right to vote of young North Carolinians, according to a new lawsuit filed in federal court today by the League of Women Voters of North Carolina, Democracy North Carolina, and North Carolina Black Alliance, with representation by Southern Coalition for Social Justice.