The Brennan Center, Senator Michael Gianaris, and Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh joined with good government and advocacy groups today to announce the introduction of the Voter Empowerment Act of New York, a nonpartisan initiative to increase voter participation as the 2012 election season commences. This legislation would amend the election law to update, streamline and make more efficient the voter registration process in New York.

Today, the League of Women Voters and Rock the Vote announced they would resume voter registration in Florida, one week after a federal judge blocked key provisions of a law restricting registration drives. The Brennan Center released the following statement from Counsel Lee Rowland, who argued the case in court on behalf of the groups.

Civic groups scored a clear victory today, as a federal judge blocked enforcement of key provisions of Florida’s controversial election law, which places onerous restrictions on community-based voter registration drives.

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law released the following statement on the Voter Empowerment Act, a bill introduced by House Democratic leaders today to help ensure all eligible Americans have the opportunity to vote. For the first time in a federal bill, the Voter Empowerment Act includes steps to modernize voter registration, a proposal first introduced by the Brennan Center in 2008.