Nov 9th, 2007
Posted by Suzanne Ito, ACLU at 1:53pm	Voting Rights

Group Tries to Deprive College Students of the Vote

Today Laughlin McDonald, director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, wrote an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution about a group that calls itself the Statesboro Citizens for Good Governance. The group is challenging the rights of 909 students at Georgia Southern University to vote in city elections; their challenge asserts that since the students are not residents of Statesboro, they shouldn't be able to vote in local elections. Laughlin points out that this is unconstitutional:

This is not the first time students have been challenged in Georgia. In 1980, a similar challenge was made to student voters at Young Harris College. In dismissing the challenges, the court ruled it was unconstitutional to apply a presumption of nonresidence because a voter was a student. Other such challenges have been made, and rejected, in other states.

With election season in full swing, another voting rights issue to keep an eye on is the voter ID laws. One case before the Supreme Court, Crawford v. Marion County Board Election Board, will determine whether Indiana's voter ID law unconstitutionally burdens citizens' right to vote.

Permalink |	Voting Rights

1. Anonymous Says:
   May 20th, 2008 at 2:02pm

   I don't understand why the ACLU seems to be deliberately ignoring the disenfrachisement of Florida and Michigan primary voters.

   I never agreed to give up my "right" to vote in the Democratic Primary. At least I thought it was my right. But a right can't be taken away. Thats what makes it a right.

   My suspicion is that the ACLU is in bed with the Democratic Party and doesn't want to upset them, so while they will go after people who try to take away the rights of felons and college students they won't come to the defense of Floridians or Michiganders. Very disappointing.