Voters head to the polls tomorrow, one year after President Obama said “we have to fix” the long lines that marred the 2012 election. In the year since, an encouraging number of states have taken steps to provide voters more access to the ballot box by modernizing registration and increasing early voting opportunities, but others are still trying to restrict rights, according to a Brennan Center analysis.
At least 234 expansive bills that would expand access to voting were introduced in 45 states, whereas 90 restrictive bills were introduced in 33 states. Overall, 10 states passed 13 bills to expand rights, and nine restrictive bills passed in eight states. To make matters worse, for the first time in almost 50 years, voters in some places will head to the polls without a critical protection under the Voting Rights Act.
Brennan Center experts Michael Waldman, Wendy Weiser, and Myrna Pérez are available to discuss problems citizens could experience tomorrow at the polls, voting changes in the states, the Supreme Court’s decision, and the road ahead for reform.
More Brennan Center resources on election reform:
- Early Voting: What Works – A new report detailing the benefits of early voting and offering seven recommendations to improve elections.
- How to Fix Long Lines – Our three-part plan to fix long lines at the polls.
- The Case for Voter Registration Modernization – An in-depth look at the Brennan Center’s proposal to modernize registration and bring elections into the 21st century.
For more information, or to set up an interview, please contact Erik Opsal at erik.opsal@nyu.edu or 646–292–8356.