Analysis & Commentary
Voter Registration
Summary of Election Reform Legislation in the 109th Congress
This is a brief summary of federal election reform legislation introduced in the 109th Congress. Senate bills are listed first, in order of introduction, followed by House bills. Although the descriptions of each bill are not comprehensive, each bill summary includes hyperlinks for more information.
– 01/22/07
Tuesday’s Intrepid Voters
Authored by: Justin Levitt
– 11/10/06
Cast Out: New Voter Suppression Strategies 2006 and Beyond
2006 presentation on vote suppression strategies that threaten democracy.
– 10/31/06
Remember to Vote, Hope It Counts
Authored by: Michael Waldman, Wendy Weiser & Open NY
– 10/30/06
Policy Brief on Restrictions on Voter Registration Drives
Voter registration drives help citizens who face the greatest barriers to voting, yet many states continue to enact burdensome restrictions on organizations that register voters.
Policy Brief on Student Voting
Research dating back to the 1940s has consistently shown that young citizens vote at lower rates than older citizens and are less likely to feel connected to the electoral process. Low voter turnout among young citizens has grown more acute since 1972, when 18-to-21 year olds were first permitted to vote. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at the University of Maryland, voter turnout of 18-24 year olds dropped by at least 13 percent (from 55% in 1972 to 42% in 2000), a much higher rate of decline than that of their elders. This lack of representation at the polls means that young peoples issues are being virtually ignored by political candidates.
– 03/08/06
Delaware Rules Keep Students from Voting
– 09/27/04
Key Provisions of the Help America Vote Act
Fact sheet that outlines the Help America Vote Act of 2000. In response to the problems during the presidential elections of 2000, Congress passed the HAVA mandating significant changes in virtually every aspect of election administration.
Authored by: Kele Williams
HAVA Implementation in the 50 States
The chart provides a summary of the key provisions of each plan, with particular attention devoted to those areas that will most directly affect voters.
Authored by: BC, DEMOS, PFAW, Leadership Conference, Civil Rights Education Fund
Learning from Lani
Authored by: Deborah Goldberg
– 03/22/99