The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 1, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Ignoring established federal law, the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority overturned two lower court decisions and allowed Virginia to continue its purge of suspected registered non citizen voters. News outlets have since confirmed that eligible Virginia voters were among them. 

Virginia is the latest state which has pushed such purges without adequate investigation to support a national GOP narrative, sweeping up American-born and naturalized citizens in the process.  The National Voter Registration Act prohibits any purges within 90 days of an election.   Virginia Public Radio and NPR have already found eligible voters on the list who apparently check the wrong box at the DMV,  and now have had their registrations canceled. 

A similar purge of over 3,200 purported non citizens in Alabama was halted in federal district court in October.  Court documents showed over 2,000 of them were valid U.S. citizens and eligible voters.  In Texas, after Governor Abbott trumpeted that 6,500 non citizen voters would be purged, the Secretary of State’s office found only 581 were registered illegally, according to the Texas Tribune.

Even more alarming is the Supreme Court’s willingness to ignore established federal law and render a decision which at the very least has an appearance of partisanship, and worse, what that appearance could mean for post-election litigation.

We have local reporting, and links to confirm if you’re still a registered voter, at   AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

U.S. Supreme Court – ORDER IN PENDING CASE –  BEALS, SUSAN, ET AL. V. VA COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, ET AL.
Virginia Mercury – U.S. Supreme Court grants stay in challenge to Youngkin’s voter purge order
NPR – U.S. citizens are among the voters removed in Virginia’s controversial purge
Slate – The Supreme Court Just Carved an Outrageous Loophole Into a Major Voting Rights Law
Brennan Center for Justice – Courts Confront the Noncitizen Voting Lie
Alabama Reflector – Federal judge blocks Alabama Secretary of State’s voter removal plan
Texas Tribune – Gov. Greg Abbott boasted that Texas removed 6,500 noncitizens from its voter rolls. That number was likely inflated.

Groups Taking Action:

Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights, League of Women Voters VA, 

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VoterPurge #Virginia #SCOTUS #USSupremeCourt 

The post U.S. Supreme Court Allows Virginia to Purge of Alleged Non Citizen Voters Only Days Before the Election, Ignoring Established Federal Law. Eligible Voters Were on the List, Too. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 20, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

Shortly after taking office, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen directed state election officials to invalidate voter registrations of immigrants who had been issued a Permanent Resident, or “green” card by the U.S. Government.  In his zeal to root out noncitizens, he apparently invalidated eligible U.S. naturalized citizens as well. 

Despite no evidence of widespread illegal voting by noncitizens in Alabama, Allen directed the removal of residents who had a federal “noncitizens identification number” from the state’s voter rolls. The state purged 3,251 people in August, after which Allen said in a statement, “I have been clear that I will not tolerate the participation of noncitizens in our elections.”   

The Alabama Reflector reports that a lawsuit was filed Sept. 13th by democracy groups and four naturalized citizens who had at one time held a green card and noncitizen identification number, and were swept up in Allen’s, QUOTE, “Purge Program.” 

The complaint alleges that it violates the First and Fourteenth amendments, the Voting Rights Act and the National Voter Registration Act, and asks the court to strike down the program.  It also alleges that the announcement and notification of voters violated the VRA’s prohibition of  “attempting to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for voting or attempting to vote.”  No hearing has been scheduled.

We’ve linked the complaint and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

U.S. District Court, Northern District via Democracy Docket – Complaint
Associated Press – Lawsuit says Alabama voter purge targets naturalized citizens
NPR – The GOP is making false claims about noncitizens voting. It’s affecting real voters

Brennan Center for Justice – Noncitizen Voting Isn’t Affecting State or Federal Elections — Here’s Why
Alabama Political Reporter – Undocumented woman charged for voting fraud, but research shows noncitizen voting is rare and overstated

Groups Taking Action:
Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, League of Women Voters AL,  Alabama State Conference of the NAACP

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #AlabamaNews #VoterSuppression #NewCitizens

The post Alabama SOS Sweeps Up Naturalized Citizens In Move to Root Out Supposed Noncitizen Voters, Spurs Lawsuit appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Aug. 27, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

In a 5-4 vote August 22nd, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated part of an Arizona voter suppression bill requiring citizens to provide proof of citizenship in addition to other identity documents.  

The law targets Native American voters, who sometimes don’t have birth certificates, and college students, who may not have the documents available.  Both groups skew liberal.

Arizona has two ballots for elections; a state ballot which includes local, state and federal candidates, and a federal-only ballot. The federal-only ballot uses an affidavit to swear to citizenship on penalty of perjury, but does not require the documents.  Democracy news outlet Votebeat found college students often use the federal-only ballot.

A 2022 Arizona law, House Bill 2492, requires that citizens registering to vote provide a birth certificate, passport or naturalization papers to register for either the state and federal, or federal-only, ballots.  Democracy groups argued it violated both the National Voter Registration Act and 1964 Civil Rights Act.  A recent study found 9% of Americans don’t have ready access to a birth certificate.  

In its short, unsigned decision, the high court allowed Arizona to enforce the law for the state and federal ballot, but not on the separate federal-only ballot, preserving the ability to vote for President, Vice President, House, and Senate races, but shutting those voters out of local and state elections.  

We’ve linked to more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Arizona Legislature – House Bill 2492
U.S. Justice Department – (March 2024) U.S. District Court Finds That Arizona Voter Registration Provisions Violate Federal Law
ACLU – Voting Rights Groups File Amicus Brief to Protect Arizona’s Eligible Voters from Documentary Proof of Citizenship Law
SCOTUS Blog – Justices allow Arizona to enforce proof-of-citizenship law for 2024 voter registration

NPR – Supreme Court grants GOP bid to require citizenship proof for some Arizona voters
Votebeat – Arizona’s federal-only voters are concentrated on college campuses, data show

Groups Taking Action:

Mi Familia Vota, League of Women Voters

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Arizona #VoterSuppression #SCOTUS #USSupremeCourt

The post U.S. Supreme Court Restores Arizona Law Aimed at Disenfranchising Native Americans and College Students appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 7, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

The nonpartisan Fair Elections Center released a report to state and local election officials in February suggesting ways voter participation can be expanded.  Recommendations include expanding voter registration options, making use of public/private partnerships to distribute voting information, developing communication plans, and expanding poll worker training.

Fair Elections Center urges local governments to expand access points for online voter registration in the 42 states which offer it.  Instead of just the election department website, it suggests linking voter registration at DMV, employment security and other government sites.  It also suggests libraries and other public places make computers and voter registration forms available for those without broadband or computer access.  

See it on the Fair Election Center’s website: https://www.fairelectionscenter.org/_files/ugd/85cfb4_2cdf3014a70c4e9781c916f55d92a156.pdf

Highly mobile populations often don’t re-register to vote.   Fair Elections Center recommends banks and other lenders, and landlords and other housing providers offer voter registration information.  It also recommends election officials work with schools to conduct voter registration events, and with local organizations in underrepresented communities.   

Voter information outreach continues to be a struggle for smaller election offices. The report recommends a communications plan which includes all modes of social media, voting information in additional languages, and in media for all disabilities.

Share the Fair Elections Center report with your local officials from AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Fair Elections Center – LOCAL INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE THE VOTING EXPERIENCE:
Recommendations for Local Elected Officials and Election Officials
U.S. Election Assistance Commission –  Election 2024 Toolkits

Groups Taking Action:
Fair Elections Center, Campaign Legal Center, Brennan Center for Justice

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RegistertoVote #BeAPollWorker #ProtectElections

The post Nonpartisan Report Recommends Ways Local Officials Can Expand Voter Participation and Recruit Election Workers Using Public/Private Partnerships appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

Listen: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/americandemocracyminute/episodes/2022-06-05T08_13_42-07_00

Today’s Links:  
Articles: Court Rules That South Dakota Failed To Offer Adequate Voter Registration, Litigation: SD Voter Registration,  South Dakota ruled noncompliant with federal voter law, The Federal Court’s Ruling
Ways to get involved:   Native American Rights Fund,  Four Directions

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

A partial ruling on an important voting rights case was announced last week, finding the State of South Dakota in violation of the National Voter Registration Act.   The U.S. District Court found that the state had multiple violations, among them the inadequate implementation of voter registration locations which particularly affected tribal areas.

In September 2020, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, a voting rights organization and individual voters sued the state and its election officials arguing the state didn’t offer voter registration options at motor vehicle agencies or state-run public assistance offices as required by the National Voter Registration Act.

Jacqueline De León, a staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, said in a statement, “We documented Native American residents routinely being underserved by the state of South Dakota when it came to voter registration. Native Americans are not being offered the voter registration opportunities they are entitled to under law. We told the state that there was a problem, but they did not fix it. Apparently they did not see the disenfranchisement of Native voters and the silencing of Native voices as an important issue. We do.”

The federal judge agreed, ruling that the state did not offer voter registration at some motor vehicle and public assistance locations as required by the federal law, and hadn’t properly trained employees.  Several other parts of the suit are still in litigation. 

There’s more on this lawsuit and a link to the Native American Rights Fund and voting rights group Four Directions at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  

For the American Democracy  Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.

The post American Democracy Minute for June 6, 2022: Federal judge finds Native Americans Denied Voter Registration Opportunities by State of SD appeared first on American Democracy Minute.