Tag Archives: Voting

Ballot Initiative Restores Felon Voting Rights in Florida

While the Democrats winning the House in last month’s midterms means new checks and balances on the Trump admin’s efforts to turn federal coffers into the donor class’s piggyback, the result of a Florida ballot question is arguably the greatest win of 2018. Amendment 4, the ballot initiative that received 64% of the vote, will restore voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians with felony convictions … Continue reading Ballot Initiative Restores Felon Voting Rights in Florida »

Because of the Supreme Court’s Complicity, Our Elections Lack Integrity

With more races being decided by ever-slimmer margins, like in Florida’s gubernatorial and senate elections, increasing attention is being paid to who can and cannot vote, and how difficult the voting process has become for certain Americans. This midterm election was decided in part by widespread voter suppression, and it’s time for Americans to acknowledge how much partisan maneuvering is to blame. In this summer’s … Continue reading Because of the Supreme Court’s Complicity, Our Elections Lack Integrity »

Georgia’s Gubernatorial Election is a National Embarrassment

By now, the entire country has heard the issues surrounding the governor’s race in Georgia. Under Republican candidate Brian Kemp’s supervision, massive voter suppression took place. As the sitting Secretary of State, Kemp should be held responsible for unused, still wrapped voting machines being found days after the election, hour-long lines, and tens of thousands of unprocessed registrations. Instead, he is likely to be rewarded … Continue reading Georgia’s Gubernatorial Election is a National Embarrassment »

Ending Felony Disenfranchisement in Florida is on the Ballot

Florida is being Forced to Reform its Voting Rights Restoration System

Throughout the 2016 election cycle, the media and politicians alike spoke of the forgotten voters, the Americans whose voices were not being heard and whose will was not being done in their state capitals and D.C. Via Trump’s election, many said the forgotten Americans had finally been heard, but this is not true. These Americans always had access to the ballot box, and used it. … Continue reading Ending Felony Disenfranchisement in Florida is on the Ballot »

Direct Democracy is Under Attack

President Trump may not be able to say it, but it’s all but undeniable at this point that the Russian government attacked American democracy during the 2016 election. While the Russia story might get all of the mainstream news coverage, there’s another, more insidious assault on our democracy underway, and this one’s coming from within. Across the country, ballot initiatives– one of the only ways … Continue reading Direct Democracy is Under Attack »

DC Council Repealed Voter-Approved Initiative 77

Yesterday, the DC City Council voted 8 to 5 to repeal the democratically enacted Initiative 77. The ballot measure would have gradually raised the tipped minimum wage until it matched the regular DC minimum wage of $15/hr. This is an outrage. This summer, Initiative 77 won the support of voters by an 11-point margin. Instead of this being the end of it, City Council has … Continue reading DC Council Repealed Voter-Approved Initiative 77 »

“One Person, One Vote” Doesn’t Count for Urban Communities

It seems like every day we see another news story about how conservative politicians found a new and innovative way to disenfranchise minority populations living in urban centers. But while voter ID laws and partisan gerrymandering (rightfully) earn significant outrage, there’s another issue discriminately shifting political power in virtually every state that’s flown under the radar: prison gerrymandering. Prison gerrymandering is the practice of state … Continue reading “One Person, One Vote” Doesn’t Count for Urban Communities »

Brett Kavanaugh’s Aversion to the Equal Protection Clause is Troubling

We’ve come a long way as a country in expanding voting access to more than just rich, white, male landowners. Since its passage, we’ve consistently relied on the 14th Amendment to bring us closer to an electorate truly representative of our population. But we’ve got a long way to go, and with an administration that has proven itself to be in favor of limiting access … Continue reading Brett Kavanaugh’s Aversion to the Equal Protection Clause is Troubling »

The Legacy of Poll Taxes and Disenfranchisement

The 24th amendment, ratified in 1964, abolished the poll tax. Unfortunately, over the last 50 years, a policy of another name but similar impact has taken its place. The disenfranchisement policies of 22 states, which are widely considered to be unconstitutional, have continued the American tradition of an exclusionary electorate. It’s a well-known fact that those living in poverty have tougher lives than those who … Continue reading The Legacy of Poll Taxes and Disenfranchisement »

Florida is being Forced to Reform its Voting Rights Restoration System

Florida is being Forced to Reform its Voting Rights Restoration System

With passage of the 13th and 14th amendments, America created two of the greatest loopholes in the country’s legal code. Immediately following their introduction, the language of the amendments led to Jim Crow, convict leasing, and chain gangs. Over 150 years later, we are seeing further harmful results of these laws in states that disenfranchise felons. Thankfully, some states are beginning to examine their policies … Continue reading Florida is being Forced to Reform its Voting Rights Restoration System »

New Jersey Might (Finally) Do Something About its Practice of Disenfranchisment

Whether it’s the monied bail system, the corruption of officers and prosecutors, or the financial interests of for-profit prisons, there are economic and institutional powers that require a consistent flow of offenders and non-offenders to be put behind bars and forever marred by the label “convict.” At the moment, a plurality of states disenfranchise citizens, sometimes for life, due to their criminal history. We would … Continue reading New Jersey Might (Finally) Do Something About its Practice of Disenfranchisment »