American Civil Liberties Union

The ACLU's Voting Rights Project has worked to protect the gains in political participation won by racial and language minorities since the 1965 passage of the Voting Rights Act.


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Voting Rights : Election Reform : Press Releases

ACLU Of Utah Releases Report On Ogden Election Irregularities (04/25/2008)
SALT LAKE CITY - The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah released a report today detailing the results of an investigation into election irregularities surrounding the Ogden 2007 municipal election.

ACLU of Michigan Files Federal Lawsuit Challenging Primary Election Law (01/11/2008)
DETROIT - The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan announced today a federal lawsuit challenging the new primary law that requires the Michigan Secretary of State to provide party preference declarations solely to the two major political parties of the State. The law, passed in August of 2007, makes it a misdemeanor for others, including political parties, journalists, academics or historians, to have access or use the lists. The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Green Party of Michigan, Libertarian Party of Michigan, the Reform Party of Michigan, the Metro Times and Winning Strategies, a political consulting firm.

ACLU of Ohio Says Hasty Election Changes May Disenfranchise Voters (12/17/2007)
CLEVELAND – The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today cautioned election officials that making drastic changes to voting technologies could inadvertently disenfranchise Ohio voters in the upcoming 2008 elections. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner issued a report outlining some of the security shortcomings of Ohio's voting systems. In addition, Brunner issued specific recommendations that the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections adopt central count optical scan technology in place of its current system.

ACLU Asks Registrars in First Congressional District to Make Certain that Poll Workers Are Trained to Inform Voters of Alternatives to Showing ID (12/12/2007)
Richmond, VA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia is sending today a memo to every voter registrar in the First Congressional District, where a special election will be held tomorrow to elect a replacement for Rep. Jo Ann Davis, who recently passed away. The memo asks registrars to make certain that poll workers inform voters that they are permitted to vote even if they are not carrying any form of identification with them.

ACLU of New Jersey Election Day Report Calls for Reform of Voting Systems (06/05/2007)
NEWARK – With citizens headed to the polls for primary elections, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and the League of Women Voters of New Jersey today released a report highlighting significant concerns about New Jersey’s voting systems and made recommendations for changes to improve voting rights in New Jersey after reported problems during the November 2006 general election.

ACLU of Florida Calls for Voter-Verified Paper Trail (12/05/2006)
MIAMI – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and its Greater Miami Chapter today sent a letter urging the Miami-Dade County Commission to amend a resolutions calling for voter-verified paper trails for touch-screen voting machines.

ACLU of New Mexico Lawsuit Would Even Playing Field for New Political Parties (07/11/2006)
ALBUQUERQUE – The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, joined by the ACLU Voting Rights Project, today challenged a state law that forces new political parties to work much harder than existing parties to put their candidates on general election ballots.

ACLU Victorious in Challenge to Ohio’s Punch-Card Ballots (04/21/2006)
CLEVELAND, OH - The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio and the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project announced victory today in a constitutional challenge to Ohio’s use of punch-card ballot voting technology.

Civil Rights Groups Urge Department of Justice to Block New Georgia Photo ID Law (03/29/2006)
ATLANTA – In a letter sent yesterday to federal officials, more than two dozen civil rights, community, religious and citizen advocacy groups, along with a consortium of private attorneys, urged the U.S. Department of Justice to block implementation of the latest Georgia law requiring photo identification as an absolute condition for in-person voting.

ACLU Launches Campaign on Voting Rights Act Reauthorization; Reports, Public Education Materials Issued on Anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" (03/07/2006)
WASHINGTON - On the 41st anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the American Civil Liberties Union today launched a new campaign, "Every Voice. Every Vote. Renew the Voting Rights Act" to raise public awareness and urge Congress to reauthorize the expiring sections of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. The campaign launch was marked by the release of two comprehensive reports that detail the need for the renewal of that historic civil rights law.

Remembering Bloody Sunday: Anniversary is Reminder of Importance of Voting Rights Act (03/06/2005)
Forty years ago today, television viewers saw 500 peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Ala., teargassed and beaten with billy clubs by police. The marchers were protesting the murder of a young unarmed black man and the continued disenfranchisement of blacks in the South. The brutal, unprovoked attack of them sparked national outrage, and was a catalyst of the civil rights movement.

Trial Begins Today in ACLU's Historic Challenge to Ohio's "Hanging Chad" Punch Cards (07/26/2004)
CLEVELAND - In the first case of its kind to go to trial, a federal court in Ohio will hear arguments starting today in the American Civil Liberties Union's challenge to use of the infamous ""hanging chad"" punch card machines and other inadequate voting technologies in the upcoming election.

Appeals Court Postpones California Recall Election Until State Can Correct "Punch Card" Voting Machines (09/15/2003)
LOS ANGELES - In a victory for California voters, a federal appeals court today ordered the postponement of the state's recall election until all counties complete the transition away from faulty and decertified "punch card" voting machines.

Findings on Miami-Dade Elections Show Improvements Still Needed, ACLU Says (11/25/2002)
MIAMI -- Saying that Miami-Dade County's November 5 elections were far from problem-free, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida along with other members of the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition today issued a report demonstrating the county's failure to implement meaningful voting reforms.

ACLU Urges PA to Proceed with Caution in Implementing New Federal Election Law (10/24/2002)
PHILADELPHIA -- Furthering its commitment to protect the fundamental right to vote and to have one's vote counted fairly and accurately, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania today urged state lawmakers to act carefully in implementing the new federal election law, the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

ACLU Decries Passage of Election Reform Bill; Says Voting Rights Cure Worse Than Disease (10/10/2002)
WASHINGTON - In response to tonight's expected passage of election reform legislation that has been touted by supporters as a cure for America's flawed voting system, the American Civil Liberties Union said that the bill would disenfranchise whole classes of Americans by erecting new bureaucratic hurdles for voters.

Settlement Reached in Florida Election Lawsuit; Punch Card System Continues to Face Scrutiny Nationwide: Statement of Laughlin McDonald, Director, ACLU Voting Rights Project (09/03/2002)
ATLANTA- The American Civil Liberties Union welcomes the proposed settlement announced today of a class-action lawsuit filed against the state of Florida and seven counties after many minority voters were disfranchised during the controversial 2000 presidential election.

ACLU Applauds Changes to Aid Restoration of Voting Rights in Florida, Urges Governor to Make Process Automatic (04/24/2002)
MIAMI--In a little publicized but important change, Florida's Office of Executive Clemency, together with the Florida Parole Commission, recently posted a shortened and simplified online version of the form that ex-felons must use to apply for restoration of their civil rights, including the right to vote. 

Senate Passes Flawed Election Reform Bill; ACLU Says Bill Would Do More Harm than Good (04/11/2002)
WASHINGTON - With the overwhelming passage today of election reform legislation, the American Civil Liberties Union said that the Senate has approved a measure that will do more harm than good.

ACLU Says Flawed Provisions in Election Reform Legislation Threaten to Take a Step Backward (02/25/2002)
WASHINGTON -- While applauding the spirit of a major election reform bill in the Senate, the American Civil Liberties Union today objected to a number of flawed provisions in the legislation, saying they turn a good bill into legislation that would represent a significant step backward for voting rights in America. 

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