Fighting Voter Suppression
“A panel of federal judges opened a trial in Washington, D.C., on Monday to decide whether Texas can carry out its year-old voter ID law, which the Justice Department contends will prevent Latino and African-American citizens from voting.”
League President Elisabeth MacNamara and Senior Elections Director Jeanette Senecal are among the “foes” in this piece on how the “Foes of Voter ID Laws Find Ways to Mute Their Impact.”
“Elisabeth MacNamara, national president of the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan group that works to lower barriers to participation, said that the patchwork of rules across the states is cumbersome and intimidating for historically reluctant groups of voters.”
“More than 758,000 registered voters in Pennsylvania do not have photo identification cards from the state Transportation Department, putting their voting rights at risk in the November election, according to data released Tuesday by state election officials.”
“The former governor and former vice president were brought together for this project by the League of Women Voters, an organization that also opposes the amendment that is expected to be on the ballot in November, if it passes the current court challenge.”
“Gov. Rick Snyder [MI] on Tuesday vetoed three election law bills pushed by Republican legislators seeking to require a ballot box affirmation of citizenship, restrict voter registration drives and require photo ID for obtaining an absentee ballot.”
“Elections should not be decided by politicians who manipulate voting laws for partisan gain. Improving our elections need not come at the expense of our shared value that all citizens should have the opportunity to participate in our democracy.”
“Groups opposed to a proposed constitutional amendment to require photo IDs for voting argued Monday to Minnesota's highest court that allowing the ballot question to move forward would set up a ‘voter beware’ choice. ... Lawyers representing the League of Women Voters Minnesota, Common Cause Minnesota and other groups filed a brief ahead of a hearing in two weeks...”
“For the first time in [NH] state history, voters will be asked to show IDs at the polls this fall, after the Republican-led Legislature overturned a veto from Gov. John Lynch on Wednesday.”
The state officials charged with preparing ballots for the Nov. 6 general election need to know whether the proposed photo ID amendment will be on the ballot, and in what form.