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Know Your Voting Rights … Act!It’s really interesting how a fundamental right — the right to vote — is fraught with challenges like photo identification requirements, felon disfranchisement, voting while a student, voting with a disability, vote caging and purged voting lists. Although the Constitution only directly speaks to voting with the 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th Amendments, the ability to cast votes in a free and fair election is a cornerstone of democracy. How can the United States judge, criticize, and attempt to help other countries institute democratic election systems if it continues to enforce provisions that infringe upon a voter’s ability to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted? 
Over the past few years we have witnessed voters turned away from polls due to the inability to produce state-issued identification, intimidation, or administrative mistakes. Such challenges have had even more adverse effects on poor and minority citizens. Is this a true democracy if voting is more of a privilege for the few, rather than a right for all? The Constitution stands as an instrument for democracy, but the very principles upon which it stands must be enforced. Were the framers fearful of we the people? Yes! Was the ratification struggle for the Constitution difficult? Yes! Were citizens disfranchised at the formation of this government? Yes! Hence, today “We the people…” has a fervent meaning that popular sovereignty exists and the Constitution was eventually ratified by all 13 states. This was done by citizen involvement and participation to ensure the Constitution stands for all people. I believe, like James Madison, that the Constitution is a masterful document detailing express powers of the government while ensuring both state and citizen rights. But I also believe as Thurgood Marshall stated: [T]he government they devised was defective from the start, requiring several amendments, a civil war, and momentous social transformation to attain the system of constitutional government, and its respect for the individual freedoms and human rights, that we hold as fundamental today.”Yet there remain individual freedoms and human rights — the right to vote — that must still be enforced. Until these rights are consistently enforced, I will, as Marshall eloquently stated, observe the anniversary with hopes not realized and promises not fulfilled. Get involved and give the Constitution meaning! Know your voting rights … act! If you have problems voting or questions about voting, call 1-877-523-2792.
Tags: constitutionvoter
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Sep 20th, 2008 at 7:37am
I want every American Citizen to vote! Including felons who have done their time and paid their debt to society. Given that, I do not want any person who is not an American Citizen to vote! There are 15-20 million illegal immigrants in this country. I will not support their right to vote in any American election. So, why is that not even discussed in this article? Why is it ignored? Why is it not an issue? Why is it unreasonable for Americans to demand that only Americans vote in American elections? I realize that there is one party in this country that specializes in the disenfranchisement of the poor, the elderly and the non-white. But attempts to restrict voting in American elections to Americans is not NECESSARILY a disenfranchising technique. It may be tough for some very FEW people to get a picture ID but it can be done. Instead of whining about it, GO OUT AND HELP THEM.
Sep 23rd, 2008 at 1:08pm
I suppose you could consider the above articale an attemot to "GO OUT AND HELP THEM". There is a lot to say for awareness of an issue. If someone is not aware of their rights as a voter and an American citizen how could they stand up for them. I guess I don't understand your insinuation that there is any whining in the above statement.
Sep 24th, 2008 at 1:09pm
I'm trying to get out the word on a national online effort regarding election protection.
Check out www.electiondefensealliance.org/code_orange
Sign up to receive alerts when election irregularities occur in your area. Once you've signed, please help especially to get swing state voters signed up. Thanks!
Be the change!
Sep 25th, 2008 at 10:01am
Recently the Governor of Florida signed into law a requirement that the address on a voter's driver's license must be the same as the home address. This law is specifically targeting students, who live in one area and are registered to vote in their college/university city. There was a time when a voter, in some jurisdictions, could change their home address to coincide with their home address at the polls, but we are unsure now of what this new law means so close to the presidential election.
Oct 7th, 2008 at 4:40pm
As a citizen of the United States, I have had a persistent troubling question on my mind left over from the 2000 and 2004 elections and that is: “Will my vote count?” Or can we expect more of the same misconduct, fraud, voter suppression and intimidation? I know there are those who will find it convenient to dismiss me as being a cynic or a conspiracy theorist but I believe I am just being a realist. I am a member of a group called Black Box Voting that is working on protecting the integrity of our upcoming presidential election. To anyone with similar concerns, I suggest going to the group's website (see below for link) and watching its documentary “Hacking Democracy”. It is excellent. It is on HBO and I'm not sure but it might be in stores for rent. It has been nominated for an Emmy.
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/