Fighting Voter Suppression

“A contentious new election law was on track to being repealed in...Ohio after a bill to rescind the law cleared the Legislature on Tuesday, amid Democratic accusations that Republicans were thwarting the chance for voters to weigh in on the issue this fall. GOP Gov. John Kasich is expected to sign the repeal bill. Voter advocates, including the League of Women Voters in Ohio, have urged state lawmakers not to make any changes to Ohio's election law before November...”

“Minnesota lawmakers spent hours going back and forth on the Voter ID amendment, before finally passing it through both chambers ... The League of Women Voters is against the amendment saying it only disenfranchises voters.”

“Filling a federal courtroom and adjacent overflow room, some 300 Cleveland area residents heard two hours of testimony on Ohio's new voter suppression law at a field hearing May 7 called by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL).”

“Some see South Carolina’s voter ID law and other states’ efforts to tighten early voting as less of an attempt to curb voter fraud than some of the earliest volleys in the 2012 presidential race. ... Julie Hussey of the League of Women Voters of the Charleston Area said, “A lot of it is really national-level politics that we're seeing at the state level.” She said such efforts appear directed at states, such as South Carolina and Texas, ...”

“Ten regular voters say Pennsylvania’s new voter identification law will prevent them from voting in this November’s election and they estimate as many as 80,000 to 800,000 Pennsylvanians do not have acceptable photo IDs to vote ... That's the crux of a 53-page lawsuit filed...by citizens and three organizations, including the League of Women Voters...”

“A pair of appeals court rulings this week make clear the state's new voter ID law will remain suspended through the May and June recall elections.”

 “‘They're reducing the number of precincts and increasing the number of (voters) per precinct. And they're relying on the fact that people are relying on early voting, and at the same time they're reducing the number of hours. So voters are going to be caught in a Catch-22,’ said Jeanette Senecal of the non-partisan League of Women Voters, which has filed suit to block the law.”
 

“Voter advocates have urged state lawmakers not to make any changes to Ohio's election law before November, including repealing the new law. "Why rush to repeal a bill that is not in effect?" Peg Rosenfield of Ohio's League of Women Voters asked the committee.”

“... Another obstacle to getting the necessary ID is providing the necessary documentation, usually a birth certificate. Many do not have a copy of their birth certificate and obtaining one can be time consuming, complicated and costly -- especially if the voter was born out of state. To address this problem, the League of Women Voters of Dane County (Wisconsin) helps voters through the process...”

  “The forum is sponsored by the League of Women Voters Duluth. They say the bill is unconstitutional and reduces the likelihood of people voting. However, the main goal of the forum is to educate the public. Gay Trachsel is the President Elect for the League of Women Voters Duluth. 'We thought it would be really important that people should know exactly what this constitutional amendment is all about and what it means...' she said.”