Civic Nebraska’s Post

A lot of great reforms here. But I wish Proportional Representation had made an appearance here, especially as a solution to racial minority representation on legislative bodies. If the voting block is 30% Latino, shouldn't Latino's have 30% of the seats if they're voting as a united front? Under our current rules, that'll never happen. But with Proportional Representation it can! All while eliminating the need for at-large seats, racially gerrymandered districts, and winner-take-all elections.

This semester, we are piloting a new course in the Department of Political Science on Voting Rights. Read more about it 👇 https://lnkd.in/dAUFZRVQ

The HeinOnline blog has interesting features from time to time. I like this one about historic voting rights victories:

As the nation marks the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the question remains: will we honor the promises of the Act or let them lie shattered at our feet? The Supreme Court's decision to strip the preclearance provision from the Act has opened the door for states to enact restrictive voting laws, which have been proven to disproportionately affect communities of color. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, proposed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, aims to update the preclearance formula and strengthen legal protections against racially motivated voter suppression. However, with states already implementing restrictive voting laws, the fight for voting rights continues. What are your thoughts on the current state of voting rights in America? Do you believe the John Lewis Act can restore the voting rights of all citizens?

Discover the crucial role businesses can play in safeguarding our democracy in this enlightening read. Understand why advocating for voting rights and taking a stand against injustice is more than just good PR - it's our corporate responsibility.

This is a rigorous report that confirms what one might suspect about the impact of the Shelby decision. The conclusion/recommendation - pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act - makes sense, but is hardly enough. If you want to carry on the legacy of John Lewis, make all sorts of good trouble. * Support folks who are organizing like SNCC did with the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party by donating whatever resources you can (people power, financial support, any special talents you can offer); * Get yourself trained up to be a voter protection volunteer during the next election; * Get involved in the nitty gritty of elections, like pressuring your county board of elections to set the locations of polling places and the hours and dates for early voting in ways that lower barriers to voting. Hardly an exhaustive list, but hopefully an illustrative one that drives home my point - there's lots we can do in addition to pressuring Congress, which is also good trouble to get into.

As the #UnitedStates has grown and evolved, so has its #votingrights. 🇺🇸 Today nearly all adult U.S. citizens have a legal right to #vote. Learn more about the expansion of voting rights throughout US history 👇 https://hubs.li/Q02z1r-00

Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Supporting Private Parties’ Right to Bring Voting Rights Act Challenge to Robocalls The Justice Department today filed a statement of interest in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire supporting the right of private plaintiffs to bring a lawsuit challenging robocalls as intimidating, threatening or coercive in violation of Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act. This brief is one of several filed by the Justice Department explaining the prohibition against voter intimidation in Section 11(b) and supporting the longstanding principle that private plaintiffs can sue to vindicate important rights protected by the Voting Rights Act. “Voter intimidation, whether carried out in person or by way of robocalls, disinformation campaigns, or other tactics, can stand as a significant barrier for voters seeking to exercise their voice in our democracy,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Every voter has the fundamental right to cast their ballot free from intimidation, threats and coercion. Since enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, impacted voters, advocacy groups and organizations, have had full ability to turn to the courts to enforce the Act’s ban on voter intimidation across the country. The Justice Department has vigorously enforced this ban and will continue to challenge voter intimidation and defend the right of private citizens and organizations to do the same.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/g6cqEWz8

By 2022, the turnout gap between white and nonwhite voters has increased nationwide and has grown twice as quickly in regions that would have been covered if the Voting Rights Act were still in full force. This national gap represents millions of uncast ballots.  

We stand with our coalition members of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act of NJ to stress the need for this legislation to be passed in New Jersey. #NJVRA "You may be wondering why states like New Jersey need to pass their own acts when we have the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. Simply put, the federal act does not fully protect voters. Many of the protections it offered have been gutted by the Supreme Court, and judges across the country are continuing to undermine its surviving protections. Voters of color continue to face disproportionate barriers to casting their ballots in New Jersey. The NJVRA would protect them both from voter suppression and from vote dilution methods that weaken their right to have a say in the outcome of an election. What’s more, this legislation would establish a state version of a key voter protection tool called preclearance, which prevents jurisdictions with a history of discrimination from passing discriminatory voting policies — stopping these policies before they can harm voters." https://lnkd.in/ePw9dYuE #FollowThePolicies #Democracy