Why We Need Reform

THE PROBLEMS

VOTER SUPPRESSION: The lifeblood of our democracy is under threat from voter suppression. Every American citizen is guaranteed the right to vote. Voting should be easy, convenient and fair. But American elections – both state and national – have long been marred by an infrastructure that is rickety, excludes too many, and are prone to partisan manipulation and deliberate voter suppression. These problems are nationwide, but particularly target low-income communities, seniors, communities of color, and young people.

LOW VOTER TURNOUT: In a typical election voter turnout in the US is abysmally low, much lower than in other democracies. The youth vote (18-24) is the voting group with the lowest turnout. Also, millions of Americans never make it on the rolls or to the polls, while hurdles like long linesID requirements and, limited voting times block many more. Communities of color, low-income communities, students, and seniors are especially vulnerable.

FALSE CLAIMS OF ELECTION FRAUD:  Election officials use false claims of rampant voter fraud to justify strict requirements like a photo ID, often aimed at suppressing the votes of people of color and younger voters. Laws requiring a physical street address discriminate against groups like students, or people who are more likely to have P.O. Box addresses. Politicians often use unfounded claims of voter fraud to try to justify registration restrictions.

PURGING VOTER ROLLS: Under the guise of reviewing voter roles to remove duplicate names, officials have undertaken indiscriminate “purges” of voter lists, deleting millions of eligible voters’ names. Often, voters only learn they’ve been purged when they show up at the polls on Election Day. Voter purges have increased in recent years. States often conduct such purges using inaccurate data, booting voters who don’t even fall under the targeted category.

POLLING PLACE CLOSURES: A recent USA Today analysis found that election officials have closed thousands of polling places, largely affecting communities of color.

LACK OF FUNDING FOR ADMIINISTRATION OF ELECTIONS: A lack of funding inhibits the ability of localities to manage elections that ensure everyone’s vote counts equally.

POORLY TRAINED POLL WORKERS: Poll workers need good training to follow the right policies like properly checking IDs, giving language assistance, identifying voter intimidation, and offering provisional ballots. Yet a lack of funding, coupled with a lack of commitment to making voting welcoming and convenient, means poll workers are poorly equipped to do their jobs. And in addition there are fewer poll workers than are needed in most areas.

PARTISAN ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS: Our country’s highly decentralized election system hands the responsibility for managing elections to state and local administrations without oversight to curb their interest in election outcomes favorable to their party.

VOTER REGISTRATION OBSTACLES/RESTRICTIONS: Some states restrict registration by allowing people to register long in advance of an election. For example, New York requires voters to register at least 25 days before the election, which imposes an unnecessary burden on the right to vote. By forcing voters to register before the election even becomes salient to the public, it discourages people from registering in the first place. These outdated restrictions — which were designed for a time when registration forms were exclusively completed with pen and paper, and transmitted via snail mail — can significantly impact voter participation.

DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF FORMER FELONS: A felony conviction can come with drastic consequences including the loss of your right to vote. But different states have different laws. Some ban voting only during incarceration. Some ban voting for life. Some ban people while on probation or parole; other ban people from voting only while incarcerated. And some states, like Maine and Vermont, don’t disenfranchise people with felony convictions at all. The fact that these laws vary so dramatically only adds to the overall confusion that voters face, which is a form of voter suppression in itself. Due to racial bias in the criminal justice system, felony disenfranchisement laws disproportionately affect people of color, who often face harsher sentences than white people for the same offenses.

 

WHAT WE CAN DO
Social movements in the United States have long worked to extend the vote to citizens who are blocked from voting. Activists have lost their lives in the struggle. The Suffrage Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, and the movement for 18 year old voting all have won victories. But today voter turnout remains lower in the United States than in most other democracies. So the fight to make voting accessible and easy for every citizen continues. In some states, the democracy movement has achieved outstanding reforms:.
  • Early voting is legal in 41 states plus the District of Columbia
  • Automatic Voter registration has been implemented in 16 states, plus D.C.
  • 36 states have electronic voter registration at DMV offices, with another 7 states where citizens can register to vote atg other government offices
  • 16 states allow 16 and 17 year-olds to pre-register and then vote when they turn 18
  • In 8 states former felons have the right to vote
But in other states, voter suppression is actually increasing.. We need to pass national legislation in Congress to impact every state and implement make these reforms:
  • Same day voter registration
  • On-line voter registration
  • Automatic Voter registration (AVR)
  • No voter purges
  • National Election Day Holiday
  • End partisan gerrymandering with independent commissions
  • Secure voting rights for former felons
  • Pre-registration for 16 and 17 year-olds
  • Absentee ballots with no excuses needed. Absentee ballots are notoriously erratic in ensuring that a voter’s preference is counted. Update the system and never require a special “excuse” for voting absentee. 33 states now have no-excuse absentee ballots.
  • Reauthorize the civil right Voting Right Act (VRA)of 1965

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