voting rights
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For the 50-11th Time: Stacey Abrams Will Not Run for New Open Senate Seat in Georgia
We get it. Stacey Abrams would be great at running literally anything: your district, the state of Georgia, your state, the entirety of the United States, all the habitable sections of planet earth, and Jupiter, Mars and Mercury on top of that. So when news broke today that Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson, a Republican, would…
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SCOTUS Blocks Census Citizenship Question, but Rules Political Gerrymandering Constitutional
On the last day of its term, the nation’s highest court churned out two major rulings: One concerning the U.S. Census, the other, the future of gerrymandering. Let’s start with gerrymandering—that is, when a political party shapes the boundaries of an electorate so it favors them—which the Supremes already ruled could not be done on…
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Top Civil Rights Groups Will Help Crystal Mason Appeal Her 5-Year Sentence for Trying to Vote
It was a case so unfair, it quickly became a go-to talking point to illuminate the criminal justice system’s deep racial inequities: Crystal Mason, a 44-year-old Texas woman was sentenced to five years in jail for unknowingly casting an illegal ballot. Last Friday, two major civil rights groups, the American Civil Liberties Union and the…
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Tease Me, Stacey: Abrams Says She'll 'Jump In' Presidential Race If Fighting Voter Suppression Isn't a Top Priority
Yes, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams says she is still mulling over a run for the White House in 2020—and that the decision will rest on an issue dear to her: voter suppression. In an interview on the podcast Pod Save America Thursday, Abrams confirmed that a presidential run is still on the table.…
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A Poll Tax By Any Other Name: Florida’s Senate Mandates Bill Payment Before Felons Get to Vote
Last week, Florida’s House set things in motion with regard to mandating felons meet certain “financial obligations” before having their voting rights restored, and now Florida’s Senate has followed suit. The Senate passed a bill Thursday that would allow felons to vote, but only after “all financial obligations ordered by a judge” were paid, the…
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Stacey Abrams Will Not Run for U.S. Senate in 2020; Millions Sigh, 'But What About President, Though?'
We still don’t know exactly what Stacey Abrams has in mind for future office, but we can at least rule one possibility out: a U.S. Senate seat in 2020. Early Tuesday morning, the Georgia Democrat announced she will not run to be a Georgia representative, despite “a fierce lobbying effort by party leaders,” the Washington…
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Is This the New Poll Tax? Florida House Passes Bill Requiring Former Felons to Pay Up Before They Can Vote
In November, people in the state of Florida voted “yes” on Amendment 4—an initiative that would restore voting rights to more than one million former felons. The amendment would restore the rights of those with felony convictions who had completed their sentences—including prison terms, parole and probation. The only exclusion was those who had been…
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Cory Booker Proposes Getting a Day Off to Get Your Vote On
Saying there is a need for a “new Voting Rights Act,” U.S. Sen. Cory Booker promised a number of voting reforms if he became president in 2020, including making Election Day a national holiday and restoring the voting rights of ex-felons. “During my presidency, we will fight to protect and expand every American’s right to…
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Florida Republicans Slam the Brakes on Felons Looking to Restore Their Voting Rights
Remember in November when Floridans took to the polls, channelled Spike Lee, and Did the Right Thing by voting “yes” on Amendment 4? For those who can’t recall the fine details of the citizen-proposed ballot initiative, it reinstated the voting rights for people with felony convictions—excluding murder or sexual offenses—upon completion of their sentences. And…