During the summer of 1964, a coalition of civil rights groups and almost a thousand student volunteers converged in Mississippi to register African-American voters. The “Mississippi Summer Project” was met with unrelenting violence: 1,000 arrests, 35 shootings, 30 bombed buildings, 35 burned churches, 80 beatings, and at least six murders. The following year, to sustain the focus on the plight of African-American voters in the South, civil rights leaders marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. On March 25, 1965, the final day of the march, Martin Luther King Jr. vowed to continue fighting for the right to vote, earn, and learn—all without racial barriers:
There were eight states this year that passed some version of a law requiring photo identification for all voters. South Carolina was one of them, but hopefully not for long.
The Department of Justice on Friday blocked South Carolina’s law, which it said would have disproportionately affected thousands of minority voters.
Jessica Chiappone was convicted of a nonviolent drug offense. Since serving her prison sentence, she has turned her life around, completed law school and hopes to become a public defender. But because of her felony conviction, Jessica is unable to vote, hold public office or sit on a jury – all requirements for admission to the Florida Bar.
By Donna Lieberman, New York Civil Liberties Union at 3:03pm
On Saturday, December 10, more than 100 civil, labor, and human rights organizations will take a “Stand for Freedom” in New York City to protest the attack on voting rights.
By Laura W. Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 4:57pm
I grew up in a family that was always extremely engaged in politics. My mother ran for political office three times and from an early age instilled in me the importance of exercising our most cherished fundamental right: the right to vote. At age 70, my mother stopped driving and did not have government-issued photo identification until she died at age 84, although she still was able to vote in every election. Over the last few months, however, state legislatures have passed voter identification laws that would prevent senior citizens like my mother from expressing her political voice at the polls.
Last week we told you about the rash of photo-ID-to-vote bills popping up around the country, which will do nothing but prevent countless Americans from voting.
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach argued recently in the Wall Street Journal that "You can't cash a check, board a plane, or even buy full-strength Sudafed over the counter without [a photo ID]. That's why it's not unreasonable to require one in order to protect our most important privilege of citizenship."
Wilbertine Berkley is one of hundreds of thousands of Floridians with past felony convictions whose voting rights are in peril. After struggling with substance abuse, Wilbertine has served her time, enrolled in college and become a volunteer with a homelessness organization in her community. She's overcome more obstacles than many of us, but after four years, she's still waiting to have her voting rights reinstated, lost amidst the backlog of over 100,000 rights restoration cases yet to be acted upon by the Florida Board of Executive Clemency.
Wondering why your vote matters? Consider this: local, state and federal governments employ over 10 million people, and is charged with making decisions about your neighborhood’s roads, your community’s schools, your family’s financial security, and your country’s safety. Indeed, it regularly makes decisions about your fundamental rights to equality, liberty, justice, and democracy itself.
It's that time of year — it's time to vote! And the ACLU is your one-stop shop for voting resources so you can effectively exercise your right to vote. At www.aclu.org/voter, you'll find:
state-specific palm cards detailing information about voting, including voting with a disability, and guidelines for people with felony convictions
10 Quick Tips For Voters
Our video, "Always Practice Safe Voting"
And if you have any further questions, email us at vrp[at]aclu.org or call us toll free at 1-877-523-2792. The ACLU is one of over 100 partners in Election Protection, a nonpartisan coalition formed to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process.
