voting
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‘Electability’ Is Just Another Word for White Supremacy
Black people know things. Despite the systematic erasure of our history, the centuries-long intentional miseducation and the collective brainwashing that this country has inflicted on us, there are certain things that black people just know. Whether it is instinctive or passed down through generations, our continued existence depends on an inherited education that cannot be…
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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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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…
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Florida Judge Rules in Favor of Counting Votes Because…Football
In a win for Florida Democrats, Bill Nelson, the rule of law and common sense, a federal court cited the Constitution and (yes, this is actually true) the NFL rulebook to explain why election officials in the Sunshine State can’t just arbitrarily toss the ballots of eligible voters who voted by mail. “Consider the game…
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For Once, Trump Was Right: Florida Officials Admit to Widespread Voter Fraud
In a midterm election where hypothetical allegations of voter fraud played strawman for voter-suppression efforts across the country, the conservatives who advocate for Voter ID and strict voter regulations finally uncovered a case of widespread voter fraud…by Republicans. The Miami Herald reports that a Republican election official allowed residents of Bay County, Fla., to vote…
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Petty Reasons to Vote, Ranked
10. To direct passive-aggressive subs at significant others. “Maybe SOMEONE would have got up and voted this morning if they weren’t up all night eating FLAMING HOT Cheetos and watching PORN.” 9. To flirt with elderly women at polling stations, pretending that you want phone numbers and panties when you really just want spaghetti recipes…
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Queen Maxine Still Ain't Scared and She Expects Voters Not to Be Either
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who won’t allow bomb threats to intimidate her, is encouraging voters to “step up to the plate” on Election Day. The Root caught up with Auntie Maxine at this year’s Women in Media Awards in New York City. “I’d like to say to those who are targeted for bomb threats…
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What Black Voters Want in the 2018 Midterm Elections
The Root’s Video Producer Felice Leon and I went to Harlem to ask black voters what issues they want to see addressed. We found people who were more than ready to get to the polls but, as important as these upcoming elections are, we still found some folks were not motivated to vote. Are the…
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Texas Voting Machines Are Reportedly Switching Votes for Beto O’Rourke to Ted Cruz
Several Texas organizations have received reports of voting machines switching votes in the high-profile Senate race between incumbent Ted Cruz, who is reportedly not the Zodiac Killer (allegedly) and upstart candidate Beto O’Rourke. The Houston Chronicle reports that multiple voters have documented incidents during early voting where they have used the straight-ticket option (where the…
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Black Voters in Georgia Say Something Funny Is Going on With Their Voting Machines
After voters alerted the NAACP of irregularities with voting machines across Georgia, including vote-switching and touch screen malfunctions, the organization has filed complaints with the State Board of Elections for possible voter suppression tactics. NAACP Georgia State Conference president Phyllis T. Blake filed complaints with Georgia’s State Board Of Elections after early voters and eyewitnesses…