Home : Voting Rights

On 40th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act, ACLU Says Law Still Needed; Renewal, Restoration Required to Protect Americans' Fundamental Right (08/05/2005)
WASHINGTON - On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Voting Rights Act, the American Civil Liberties Union warned that if portions of the act are not renewed and restored, the fundamental right to vote could be jeopardized for millions of Americans. Sections of the historic law will expire in 2007 unless Congress acts to renew them.

ACLU Asks Court to Block Unconstitutional Election Plan in Montana (08/04/2005)
BILLINGS, MT -- The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit today on behalf of voters who say that the election plan for the city council is disproportionately drawn and dilutes the voting strength of thousands of citizens. The ACLU charges that the plan violates the ""one person, one vote"" principle of the U.S. Constitution, and is asking the court for a more equitable districting plan.

Three-Judge Panel Rules Unanimously in Favor of Native American Voters in South Dakota (07/14/2005)
RAPID CITY, SD -- The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that a panel of three federal court judges has issued an injunction against the state of South Dakota, ruling unanimously that state officials must comply with the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) and obtain prior approval from the Department of Justice before implementing a new law that the judges say ""gives the appearance of a rushed attempt to circumvent the VRA.""

District Court Ruling in Quiver v. Nelson (07/14/2005)

Civil Rights Groups Urge Justice Department to Block Georgia Photo ID Law (07/08/2005)
ATLANTA -- More than two dozen civil rights, religious, labor and advocacy groups urged the Department of Justice to block implementation of a new Georgia law which they say will have a substantially negative ""racial impact"" on minority voters. The groups argue that the new photo identification requirements contained in Georgia House Bill 244 are unnecessary and were purposefully adopted to make minority voters worse off.

Rhode Island Clears Path to Restoring Felon Voting Rights (06/29/2005)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- In response to a strong lobbying effort by a coalition of civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Rhode Island legislature today approved legislation paving the way for a Constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to probationers and parolees.

Indiana Civil Liberties Union and Broad Coalition Challenge State's New Voting Rights Rules (04/28/2005)
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Civil Liberties Union, acting on behalf of a broad coalition including state representatives and advocacy groups, today filed a challenge to a new state law with the most restrictive voting requirements in the nation, including a mandate that government-issued photo identification must be presented in order for most Hoosier citizens to cast their ballots.

ACLU Joins National Call for the Renewal of the Voting Rights Act; Stands with Civil Rights, Women's Rights and Labor Organizations (03/21/2005)
WASHINGTON -- If portions of the Voting Rights Act are not renewed, hard-won voting rights protections will vanish, leaving millions of Americans vulnerable and unable to participate equally in elections, the American Civil Liberties Union said today with leaders from civil rights, women's rights and labor organizations.

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.