The Supreme Court overturned a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, removing a critical tool to combat racial discrimination in voting. See all of the Center's recent resources on the VRA and ideas on how to move forward after the Court's decision.
Report in response to New York State implementation plan for HAVA, contending that unless the law is properly implemented there is great peril that decades of long fought reforms to enfranchise the state’s diverse populations will be thwarted at the polls.
Statement of Deborah Goldberg, Director, Democracy Program, Brennan Center on nonpartisan elections in New York City, concluding that the benefits of nonpartisan elections are unproven, and the risks are great. The limited studies now available show that nonpartisan elections depress overall voter participation, with disproportionate negative effects on people of color, low-income communities, and less educated voters.
Deborah Goldberg, Director of Democracy Program for the Brennan Center, concludes in her remarks that pressure should be exerted for real elections with real candidates rather than elections controlled by political parties; to insist upon transparency throughout the selection process; and to strive to reduce the influence of money on elections for the bench.
Letter to the New York State Board of Elections from Task Force Members regarding the implementation of the Help America Vote Act to suggest specific steps to ensure that the upcoming public hearings on the draft state implementation plan offer meaningful opportunities for public comment and debate.
According to recent press reports, Bradley A. Smith, associate professor at Capital University Law School, "is a leading GOP favorite" for appointment to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). We believe that such an appointment would be totally at odds w
June 9 marks a troubling first anniversary. For one year, the United States government has been holding an American citizen in prison, incommunicado, without access to counsel, and no criminal charges filed against him.
