Home : Voting Rights

ACLU Voting Rights Project Director Calls on Justice Department to Enforce Voting Rights Laws, Not Block People from Voting (10/30/2007)
Washington, DC – The head of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Voting Rights Project called on Congress today to investigate the Voting Rights Section of the Department of Justice, which in recent years has abandoned its historic role as the principal enforcer of voting discrimination laws and has instead used its power to promote barriers to voting.

ACLU of Virginia and NAACP Announce Election Day Hotlines and "Voter Empowerment Cards" (10/25/2007)
RICHMOND, Va. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia and the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP have established hotlines for voters who run into problems on Election Day and are distributing informational cards describing voters' rights at the polls. The cards are available in English and Spanish.

Court Rejects Threat to Vote Trading Websites (08/06/2007)
LOS ANGELES - In a decision stemming from a dispute during the controversial presidential election of 2000, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that so-called "vote-swapping" websites are protected by the First Amendment.

ACLU Expresses Support for H.R. 1281, Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act (06/25/2007)
Washington, DC - The American Liberties Union urged the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 1281, the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007, which is expected to receive a floor vote later today. This legislation is intended to address the very real problem of deceptive campaign communications in federal elections. If deceptive voting practices are not prohibited, many voters will be prevented from exercising their right to vote, which is at the very core of American democracy.

Alaska Natives and ACLU Sue Over Voting Rights Violations in Bethel (06/11/2007)
ANCHORAGE — The Native American Rights Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union, acting on behalf of four Bethel-area Alaska Natives, filed a federal lawsuit today charging state and local elections officials with ongoing violations of the federal Voting Rights Act. The groups charge that state and local officials have denied voter assistance and failed to provide oral language assistance and voting materials to citizens who primarily speak Yup’ik, the first language of many Alaska Natives in the Bethel region.

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 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 Urges Senate to Oppose Voter ID Amendment to Immigration Reform Bill (06/05/2007)
Washington, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the Senate to oppose Senator Mitch McConnell’s amendment to S. 1348, the immigration reform bill, which is expected to receive a floor vote as soon as this evening. Senator McConnell’s amendment would require voters to present a government-issued photo ID in order to vote in federal elections. This requirement imposes an unnecessary and undue burden on the exercise of the fundamental right to vote for millions of Americans who are eligible, registered, and qualified to vote.

ACLU Files Lawsuit to Restore Right to Vote for Former Felons in Arizona (05/31/2007)
PHOENIX – The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and the ACLU Voting Rights Project today filed a lawsuit seeking to restore the voting rights of Arizona citizens who have completed prison terms for felony convictions but are denied their civil rights because they owe money to the state or because they committed certain types of felonies.

ACLU Applauds Florida Legislature for Scrapping Flawed Voting Machines (05/03/2007)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The American Civil Liberties Union applauded today’s 118-0 vote by the Florida House of Representatives to pass a bill requiring paper ballot voting technology in all counties before the 2008 primaries and general election. The House vote comes shortly after the Florida Senate approved a similar measure.