Content Authored by Jo McKeegan
11 - 20 of 22 results
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The Constitutional Right to Vote Blog: Bush v. Gore, Ten Years Later
- Posted: December 14, 2010
- Author(s): , Jo McKeegan, Right to Vote Blog
- Categories: National Popular Vote, Right to Vote Amendment, FairVote
Ten years ago, in December of 2000, the Supreme Court decided Bush v. Gore. The case remains one of the more dividing litmus tests in American politics.
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Brennan Center article "Citizen's Guide to Redistricting" published
- Posted: December 1, 2010
- Author(s): , Jo McKeegan
- Categories: Home, FairVote
This 2010 edition is intended to not only serve as a guide to those already “in the know” such as academics and experts on emerging trends in gerrymandering, but also to introduce students, and policymakers to the variety of ways in which redistricting affects the day to day lives of citizens.
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Constitutional Right to Vote Blog: The Right to Vote- More Precious than a Bag of Chips
- Posted: November 18, 2010
- Author(s): , Jo McKeegan
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment, Felon Disenfranchisement
Prior to 2007 in Maryland, a person could have been disenfranchised for committing a variety of “infamous crimes” including the misdemeanor titled “unlawful operation of vending machines”.
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The Constitutional Right to Vote Blog: What elections tell us about how we protect the vote
- Posted: November 3, 2010
- Author(s): , Jo McKeegan
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment
Without clear constitutional protections, each individual citizen’s right to have a vote cast properly on Election Day is not constitutionally ensured. Missteps can and should be avoided with proper investment, training and attention to the mechanics of our elections. Voter apathy could be at least partially addressed with better civic education, starting in schools, but continuing into adult life with resources like voter guides. Until voting becomes a specifically enumerated right, we can expect to see concerns continue.
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The Constitutional Right to Vote Blog: Election Day 2010, the DOJ, and the Right to Vote
- Posted: November 1, 2010
- Author(s): , Jo McKeegan
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment
With Election Day just hours away, it is important that voters know of the resources available to them, in the event they witness something go wrong at the polls.
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Election Day: A Reminder about the Urgent Need for a Constitutionally Protected Right to Vote
- Posted: October 28, 2010
- Author(s): , Jo McKeegan
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment
As part a proposal to revamp our current election procedures, we should expand the practice of same-day voter registration (also called Election Day Registration), which is now the law in several states, and the District of Columbia. Same day registration (SDR) allows voters to register the day they cast a ballot. It has been known to increase voter turnout by as much as 12%.
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Gerrymandering, the film
- Posted: October 27, 2010
- Author(s): , Jo McKeegan
Gerrymandering, (77 minutes, not rated), will be playing this Friday at the new West End Cinema in DC. The film, which cites FairVote Executive Director Rob Richie and works closely with EndGerrymandering.com, is a nonpartisan look at redistricting efforts
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Re Registering to Vote After Moving Out of State
- Posted: October 4, 2010
- Author(s): , Jo McKeegan
- Categories: Universal Voter Registration, FairVote
A practical question arose this afternoon: how long after you move should you change your voter registration? Obviously, a voter should be registered where s/he actually lives and gets mail, but when should the voter make the switch? Can you wait a week? A month? A year?
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Virginia Governor takes action to improve voting rights
- Posted: September 28, 2010
- Author(s): , Jo McKeegan
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment, Felon Disenfranchisement, Home
The process of removing the right to vote from a person convicted of a crime was invented by the Romans and dubbed “civil death”. It is a process that several states in America still implement today, grounded in the disturbing fact that the U.S. Constitution does not provide a citizenship right to vote.
In most states, a person who has completed serving a felony conviction is allowed to register to vote. Other states restrict this right, and in a few remaining states like Virginia, this punishment is a lifelong ban unless a waiver is granted by the governor. Anyone moving into such a state with a past felony conviction will be breaking the law if they vote, even if coming from a state where they had full suffrage rights.
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Federal Election Integrity Act Coming to a House Vote
- Posted: September 28, 2010
- Author(s): , Jo McKeegan
- Categories: Home
Even the most die-hard Yankee’s fan would see something wrong with Derek Jeter acting as umpire in a game he’s playing in as shortstop. HR 512, the Fair Election Integrity Act, is designed to prevent this in the context of American elections.