Home : Voting Rights

Vote by Mail Legislation Eliminates Burdens on the Right to Vote (04/02/2008)
Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed strong support for H.R. 281, the “Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act,” scheduled for markup by the House Administration Committee later this morning. Sponsored by Representative Susan Davis (D-CA), H.R. 281 would ensure that all Americans have an equal opportunity to vote by mail in federal elections for any reason.

ACLU SUES TO PROTECT EQUAL OPPORTUNITY (03/07/2008)
Oklahoma voters filed a protest on March 7, 2008 before the state Supreme Court challenging irregularities and questionable practices in the collection of signatures by the so-called Oklahoma Civil Rights Initiative. The initiative is one of a series of ballot measures that California businessman Ward Connerly and his organization known as the American Civil Rights Institute (ACRI) have spearheaded across the country.

ACLU and BlackElectorate.com Announce Partnership To Raise Awareness Of Felony Disfranchisement (03/04/2008)
NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union and BlackElectorate.com's "Business and Building" Community are proud to announce the launch of their partnership to raise awareness of the devastating effects of felony disfranchisement on this country’s African-American community. The partnership fuses the strengths of each organization – the ACLU’s longtime involvement in states which set policy on this issue and BlackElectorate.com’s broad audience and close ties with African-American leaders – to give this issue greater visibility within the black community in this historic election year.

ACLU Lawsuit Says Officials Unconstitutionally Prevented Man From Voting In Virginia (02/28/2008)
RICHMOND, VA – The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Virginia today filed a federal lawsuit against a Virginia county’s voting officials for refusing to allow a resident to vote when he was unable to produce identification. Virginia law allows registered voters in state elections to vote without an ID, once they have signed an identity verification form.

ACLU Sues Over Tennessee’s Felon Disenfranchisement Law (02/25/2008)
NASHVILLE – The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Tennessee filed a lawsuit today in federal court challenging the state’s 2006 law that made the restoration of voting rights for people convicted of crimes contingent on the payment of all outstanding legal financial obligations (LFOs), namely restitution and child support fees. According to the ACLU’s lawsuit, requiring some individuals to bear an undue financial burden before voting is tantamount to a poll tax in violation of the constitutional right to vote and the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause.

Department of Justice Objects To South Dakota’s Discriminatory Redistricting Law (02/12/2008)
LAKE ANDES, SD – The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the Department of Justice today for enforcing the Voting Rights Act by objecting to a discriminatory South Dakota redistricting ordinance. The law would have increased the size of the Charles Mix County Commission from three to five members – reducing the voting strength of Native Americans. The Justice Department’s objection prevents the county from implementing the change, which was scheduled to go into effect today.

ACLU Hotline To Help Virginia Voters Who Encounter Problems During Presidential Primaries (02/11/2008)
RICHMOND, VA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia will have its hotline open tomorrow for voters who run into problems at the polls during the presidential primaries. The hotline will enable voters to contact someone at the ACLU if they feel they have been illegally denied the right to vote. The ACLU hotline number is 804/644-8080.

ACLU Asks Federal Court to Block Use of Unfair Voting Technology (01/28/2008)
CLEVELAND - The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Ohio filed a motion today asking federal Judge Kathleen O'Malley of the Northern District of Ohio to prevent Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections from using balloting technology that does not give notice to voters of problems with their ballot. The motion follows a lawsuit filed by the ACLU on January 17 challenging the constitutionality of this technology.

ACLU of Ohio Applauds Statement by County Elections Officials (01/24/2008)
CLEVELAND - Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio renewed its call for Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Cuyahoga County Board of Elections officials to heed the advice of the state’s top organization for election officials and reverse their decision to switch to voting technology that does not alert voters to errors on ballots.

ACLU Challenges Ohio’s Unequal Voting Technology in Federal Court (01/17/2008)
CLEVELAND – The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Ohio filed a lawsuit against state election officials in federal court today challenging the use of unequal, inaccurate and inadequate voting technology in Ohio’s most populous county. Today’s legal action seeks to block Cuyahoga County’s recent shift from using electronic voting machines to a system that lacks the ability to provide voters with notice of balloting errors and an opportunity to correct such mistakes. According to the ACLU, the use of this new system violates the Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment as well as the Voting Rights Act.