Home : Voting Rights

Senate Committee to Take Up Voter Restoration Bill Today (01/15/2008)
Richmond, VA – The Privileges and Elections Committee of the Virginia Senate will likely vote this afternoon on a constitutional amendment to allow non-violent felons who have completed their sentences to be able to vote. Under existing law in Virginia, all felons are permanently disenfranchised, and may have their right to vote restored only by the Governor.

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.

Supreme Court Hears ACLU's Landmark Voter ID Case (01/09/2008)
WASHINGTON -- In the most important voting rights case since Bush v. Gore settled the 2000 presidential election, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today in a challenge to Indiana's most-restrictive-in-the-nation voter identification law. The American Civil Liberties Union's case, Crawford v. Marion County Election Board — consolidated with Indiana Democratic Party v. Rokita — is an appeal of two lower court decisions that upheld the state's law requiring voters to present government-issued photo IDs in order to vote. According to the ACLU, the Indiana law creates an unconstitutional burden on voting rights.

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 Wins Historic Agreement in South Dakota Voting Rights Case (12/04/2007)
LAKE ANDES, SD – In a historic agreement reached today with the American Civil Liberties Union, a South Dakota county has agreed to federal supervision of its elections through 2024. The settlement resolves a 2005 ACLU lawsuit charging Charles Mix County with discriminating against Native American voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.

ACLU of Utah Investigates Ogden City Election Complaints (11/19/2007)
OGDEN, UT – The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah will be looking into complaints it has received regarding election irregularities in the November 6th mayoral race in Ogden, Utah, as it considers potential action.

ACLU Seeks Materials on Voter ID Requirements at Polls (11/15/2007)
RICHMOND, VA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia today sent a Freedom of Information Act request to local voting officials across the state seeking copies of signs used at polling places on Election Day and training materials pertaining to voter identification requirements.

ACLU of Tennessee Files Lawsuit to Protect Retirees’ Voting Rights (11/07/2007)
NASHVILLE – The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee filed a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of senior citizens living full-time in their recreational vehicles who were purged from Tennessee voting rolls because they registered to vote using the street address of a commercial mail forwarding service.

Election Day Hotlines Will Help Voters Who Encounter Problems at the Polls (11/05/2007)
RICHMOND, VA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia and the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP will provide hotlines tomorrow for voters who run into problems on Election Day. The decision to inform voters of their rights and to offer assistance stems from the experiences of the NAACP and the ACLU in recent years.