Legislation & Testimony
Voting Rights & Elections
New State Voting Laws II: Protecting the Right to Vote in the Sunshine State
The Brennan Center for Justice submitted written testimony for a U.S. Senate hearing examining Florida’s new election law, H.B. 1355, stating that the law’s onerous restrictions on community-based voter registration drives are unconstitutional and offering solutions for modernizing the state’s voter registration system.
– 01/27/12
Letter to U.S. House of Representatives Urging Opposition to H.R. 3463
The Brennan Center for Justice submitted a letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives urging them to oppose a bill that would terminate the Election Assistance Commission and end the presidential public financing system.
Authored by: Lawrence Norden
– 11/30/11
Statement for Congressional Forum: “Excluded from Democracy”
The Brennan Center's Lawrence Norden speaks on new state voting law changes and the potential negative effects for voters at a Capitol Hill forum called by members of congress.
Authored by: Lawrence Norden
– 11/14/11
New State Voting Laws: Barriers to the Ballot?
The Brennan Center submits written testimony for the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights hearing: "New State Voting Laws: Barriers to the Ballot?"
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights
– 09/19/11
Letter to Maine Sec. of State on Clarifying Student Residency Status
Recent media reports of an investigation into possible voter fraud or improper voting in Maine have focused on a list of registered voters who were also paying "out-of-state" tuition rates at Maine public universities. The Brennan Center wrote Sec. of State Charles Summers, Jr., asking him to publicly clarify that tuition rates and state residency for voting rights are governed by very different standards and reaffirm the voting rights of students who qualify as Maine residents and register to vote.
Authored by: Lee Rowland
– 08/17/11
Letter to the Department of Justice on South Carolina’s Section 5 Submission
In conjunction with the ACLU, the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the League of Women Voters of South Carolina, we submitted this joint letter to the Department of Justice pointing out how voter ID provisions in a recently passed South Carolina law are racially discriminatory. Our letter urges the Department of Justice not to approve the new law under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.
– 08/09/11
Letter to the Department of Justice Urging Denial of Preclearance for Florida Election Law Changes
The League of Women Voters of Florida, Democracia USA, the Brennan Center for Justice, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law write the Deptartment of Justice to oppose preclearance of three sets of provisions of a new Florida law, H.B. 1355 (2011), which dramatically impact the State’s voter registration and voting processes. All four organizations are non-partisan, non-profit entities that work to expand and protect voting rights in Florida and across the United States.
Authored by: The Brennan Center for Justice, Democracia USA, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the League of Women Voters of Florida
– 07/15/11
Brennan Center Rulemaking Comments on Florida Election Law HB 1355
On behalf of the League of Women Voters of Florida, Florida Public Interest Research Group, and Rock the Vote, the Brennan Center submitted comments for the Florida development workshop on Third-Party Voter Registration Organizations.
Authored by: Lee Rowland
– 06/27/11
The Voter Friendly Ballot Act of 2011
The Voter Friendly Ballot Act is legislation to simplify New York State's paper ballot design, and is the product of collaboration between New York State Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh, the Brennan Center, the Usability Professionals Association, and AIGA, the professional association for design.
– 06/09/11
Letter to Florida Secretary of State on Newly-passed Election Law Changes
On behalf of a coalition of civil rights organizations and civic groups that assist with new voter registration, the Brennan Center for Justice sent a letter to Florida’s Secretary of State, requesting that Florida hold off on the premature implementation of the state’s newly-passed election law changes.
– 06/02/11