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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPushback against voting restrictions gathers steam
Pushback against voting restrictions gathers steam
04/18/14 12:20 PMUpdated 04/18/14 01:10 PM
By Zachary Roth
From Virginia to Arkansas and North Carolina to Missouri, leaders, lawyers and citizens took significant strides this week to protect voting rights. It was the strongest sign yet that the pushback against Republican efforts to curtail access to the ballot box had gathered momentum.
In Virginia, the Democratic governor made it easier for ex-felons to get their voting rights back. Advocates filed a challenge to Arkansass voter ID law, and offered crucial new evidence about the impact of North Carolinas cuts to early voting. And Missouri Republicans moved to establish limited early votinga sign of the growing energy to expand ballot access in the state.
The efforts in Arkansas and North Carolina aim to further a strategy thats been notably effective for voting-rights advocates in recent years: the use of the courts.
Some politicians think they can get away with suppressing the vote. Were putting them on notice with our legal challenges that they cant toy with citizens fundamental right to cast a ballot. The people, and our democracy, deserve and demand better, said Dale Ho, director of the ACLUs Voting Rights Project.
The weeks developments come on the heels of President Obamas landmark speech earlier this month at the National Action Network, where he called out Republican efforts to make voting harder, and to connect todays fight for voting rights today to the struggle to enfranchise southern blacks half a century ago.
Americans did not stand up and did not march and did not sacrifice to gain the right to vote, for themselves and for others, only to see it denied to their kids and their grandkids, Obama said.
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http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/voting-rights-push-gathers-steam?cid=sm_facebook
brooklynite
(93,838 posts)There are plenty of old-school Blue States that still allow voting only on Election Day.
sheshe2
(83,319 posts)Love that picture~
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http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/voting-rights-push-gathers-steam?cid=sm_facebook
Thanks, great article, bsis.