A war on voting is raging in state houses across the country. But lost in this fog? Real solutions to make our election system work better. On Thursday, May 17, House leaders introduced the Voter Empowerment Act to help protect the voting rights of millions of Americans. The key element of this bill is voter registration modernization, a common-sense reform that would bring our elections into the 21st century. First introduced by the Brennan Center in 2008, this bipartisanproposal would provide much-needed upgrades to our outdated, costly, and inefficient paper-based registration system. Dozens of states, including New York, have already implemented or are considering implementing similar measures.
Between April and November, NAM will partner with the Brennan Center and other national research and advocacy organizations to host monthly teleconference calls, produce weekly columns and alerts, and host roundtables in key states. The goal is to build a collective news and advocacy platform in the ethnic media sector to counter voter suppression efforts and ensure every eligible voter can vote.
Wendy Weiser, Director of Democracy Program, Brennan Center
Federal Reforms to Make Our Election System Better — Voter Registration Modernization
Myrna Pérez, Senior Counsel, Brennan Center
Progress in the States — Modern Voter Registration and DMVs
Lee Rowland, Counsel, Brennan Center
Reforms in New York
Click here for audio of the call.
Read an op-ed from Wendy Weiser on voter registration modernization.