LWV of East Central Mississippi

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.

This story was originally published by The Meridian Star.

September is national Voter Registration Month, and the east central Mississippi chapter of the League of Women Voters is working to help residents register to vote in the upcoming general election. The nonpartisan organization is set to hold several events over the next month to provide residents with information about where to vote, Mississippi’s voter ID laws and what rights they have as voters.

JACKSON, Miss. — A federal court has granted a request by Disability Rights Mississippi, the League of Women Voters of Mississippi, and three Mississippi voters to block S.B. 2358 — a newly implemented state law that significantly diminishes access to the ballot for Mississippians who need assistance with voting.

Today the League of Women Voters of Mississippi, Disability Rights Mississippi, and three Mississippi voters filed a federal lawsuit challenging SB 2358, newly passed legislation that significantly diminishes access to the ballot for Mississippians with disabilities. The plaintiffs are represented by Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Mississippi Center for Justice, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU-MS and Disability Rights Mississippi (DRMS). 

Without the ability to make reproductive decisions for one’s body, those who can become pregnant cannot participate equally in our democracy.

Further, since the Dobbs decision reversing the right to abortion, numerous state governments have introduced legislation directly or indirectly related to reproductive rights, challenging doctrines of US democracy. 

The Leagues Power the South trainings unite activists across the Southern States to cast a collective vision, develop a shared analysis and strategy, and deepen relationships to manifest the democracy that our communities deserve.