LWV Of Arkansas

Voting is a fundamental right. Yet voters with disabilities face persistent barriers to casting a ballot.

Fortunately, these barriers can be challenged under Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), which requires that states allow people with disabilities to receive assistance in the voting process. 

In an unexpected decision last June, Allen v. Milligan, the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) upheld Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and ruled that Alabama’s 2021 congressional map illegally diluted the voting power of Black Alabamians. Following SCOTUS’s ruling, Alabama defied the court’s order in an attempt to continue disempowering Black residents.

From January – August 2023, state legislatures nationwide passed various bills into law. While following these developments, the League noticed several important trends around voting rights and election administration.

This story was originally published by cleveland.com

Ohio is teed up for a political fight over ballot initiatives this summer, after Republican Ohio lawmakers voted last month to set an Aug. 8 election to make it harder to change the state constitution.

But Ohio is just part of a broader national battle over ballot issues, generally pitting Republican state lawmakers against backers of left-leaning policies, many of which have fared well at the ballot box.

This story was originally published by Public News Service.

Bonnie Miller, president of the League of Women Voters of Arkansas, said the bill appears to be a remedy in search of a problem. Miller pointed out there are real issues related to election security, but voter fraud is not one of them, especially in Arkansas.

This article was originally published by Public News Service.

Ahead of the general election on November 8, there's an urgent push for voter registration in Arkansas.