Content Categorized with "Right to Vote Amendment"
11 - 20 of 49 results
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From the Mouth of the President to the Ears of the People: We Have to Fix That
- Posted: November 8, 2012
- Author(s): Elizabeth Hudler
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment, Universal Voter Registration, Voting Rights, FairVote
As was expected, problems at the polls abounded on November 6, nationwide. While glitches were reported across the country, voter-rights watchers paid particular attention to the swing states, where obstacles to ballot access in the form of registration ambiguities, voting-day misinformation, voter suppression tactics, and long, exhausting (and cold!) lines had potential to lower turnout and affect outcomes. President Barack Obama in his acceptance speechTuesday night, thanked people for waiting in those lines --- and then added, “By the way, we have to fix that.”
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New Report Highlights Our Primary Turnout Problem
- Posted: October 11, 2012
- Author(s): Rob Richie
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment, Universal Voter Registration, Home
A new report on plunging turnout in federal primary elections underscores a crisis of non-participation in American elections -- one that is far more pronounced and troubling in primary elections and city elections than for higher-profile elections for president and Congress. There are concrete actions we could take to boost participation and give voters more choice and better representation in our elections.
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Right to Vote Advocates Give Testimonies to US Senate Judiciary Committee
- Posted: September 8, 2011
- Author(s): Christina Grier, Right to Vote Blog
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment, Home
On September 8, 2011, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on state voting laws, in particular, laws that could be seen as suppressing voter turnout. Advocates spoke about why a right to vote is so necessary, and not simply amendments that prevent voters from discrimination.
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The Next Generation of Reformers: Reasons for Young People to Get Involved in the Electoral Reform Movement
- Posted: August 24, 2011
- Author(s): Dorothy Scheeline
- Categories: Ranked Choice Voting, National Popular Vote, Learning Democracy, Right to Vote Amendment, Universal Voter Registration, Home
A lot of the people advocating for structural changes do so because we have problems with the established political culture. The group of people that is 18-29 right now has a lot of reasons to want deep systemic change soon. Because of this, I think that over the next decade we will see groups that are focused on young people intensify their advocacy efforts for election reform issues.
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Evolution of voting rights from 1789 to today must continue
- Posted: August 14, 2011
- Author(s): Jo McKeegan, Right to Vote Blog
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment, Home
Often we sanctify the Founding Fathers and the Constitution that is the bedrock of our republic. But when it comes to voting rights, most of the founders were far off the mark from how we see the right to vote today. Consider the realities of the election of 1789, the first election of the new Congress. The overall number of people who were allowed to, and actually voted, was miniscule in state after state.
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Voting Rights Constitutional Amendment Gathers Steam
- Posted: July 22, 2011
- Author(s): Jo McKeegan, Rob Richie, Right to Vote Blog
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment, Home, FairVote
Nothing is more fundamental to democracy that a fully protected right to vote. That’s why it belongs in the U.S. Constitution.
That's why we so pleased to share good news. Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. has introduced HJR 28, the Right to Vote amendment. If you want to support HJR 28, you can take action today. Without such a right specifically enumerated in our Constitution, our fundamental voting rights are at risk.
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Rossello v. United States and the Right to Vote for Puerto Rico
- Posted: July 5, 2011
- Author(s): Jo McKeegan
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment, Universal Voter Registration, Home, FairVote
Brought in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights by former governor of Puerto Rico Pedro Rossello, Rossello v. United States addresses the lack of a right to cast a ballot and have such ballots counted in national elections for president and Congress by residents of Puerto Rico. Petitioner Rossello has been disenfranchised, along with all other residents of Puerto Rico, despite his American citizenship, based solely on his area of residence within the United States. The case raises larger issues about voting rights for Americans who live in American "colonies" that are not states. -
What if the Right to Vote Started at Birth?
- Posted: June 17, 2011
- Author(s): Nate Crippes
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment, Home
Journalist Jonathan Bernstein has raised an interesting question: at what age should we be allowed to begin voting? More specifically, should citizens be given the right to vote at birth, with our parents voting for us before we're capable (Bernstein suggests the ripe old age of 15 for voting on one's own)? It's certainly an interesting theory. FairVote is not endorsing such a position, but we do think it would be interesting to look at both sides of the issue, grounded in the fact that if we treat voting as a right, we should only limit rights for very good reasons.
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The Right to Vote Blog: Put more money into politics?
- Posted: June 1, 2011
- Author(s): Jo McKeegan, Right to Vote Blog
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment, Home, FairVote
“Let’s put more money into politics!” is a rallying cry that won’t win over too many supporters.
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RTV: Money doesn't grow on trees
- Posted: May 4, 2011
- Author(s): , Jo McKeegan, Right to Vote Blog
- Categories: Right to Vote Amendment, Home
Recently, several states have backed policies that likely will disenfranchise large numbers of their citizens in the name of reducing the deficit and becoming more efficient; policies involving filling vacancies, and maintaining voter rolls.