Right to Vote

Federal Judges Block Efforts To Ease Rules For Mail-In Ballots

October 25, 2020 Billy Corriher, Facing South. Educate! 2020 Elections, Right to Vote, South, Supreme Court

In the final weeks of the 2020 election, Republican-appointed appellate judges have overturned rulings that required states to make mail-in voting easier during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tens of millions of ballots have already been cast, even as federal judges kept changing the rules. These decisions could be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, which will include a 6-3 conservative majority if nominee Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed by the U.S. Senate next week as planned. So far, the court has ruled against voters in nearly every case it has reviewed.

Tennessee To Strip Right To Vote From Protesters

August 24, 2020 Staff, Commondreams. Resist! First Amendment, Right to Protest, Right to Vote, Tennessee

Tennessee protesters will face harsh penalties, including losing the right to vote, as punishment for participating in protests under a law enacted by the Tennessee GOP-dominant General Assembly. Right-wing Governor Bill Lee quietly signed off on the bill Thursday, AP reports. Under the new law, demonstrators who camp on state property can now be charged with a Class E felony, punishable by up to six years in prison, rather than a misdemeanor it was previously. Since George Floyd’s killing earlier this year, protesters have camped outside the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville, demanding a meeting with the governor to discuss racial inequality and police brutality. The protesters set up camp in War Memorial Plaza near the Capitol, naming it the “People’s Plaza” and “Ida B. Wells Plaza,” after the civil rights leader. They stayed there 24 hours a day for more than two months.

Postal Service Halts Some Changes Amid Outcry, Protests And Lawsuits

August 19, 2020 Lisa Mascaro and Anthony Izaguirre, Associated Press. Resist! 2020 Election, Post Office, Right to Vote, US Postal Service

Facing mounting public pressure and a crush of state lawsuits, President Donald Trump's new postmaster general announced Tuesday he is halting some operational changes to mail delivery that critics blamed for widespread delays and warned could disrupt the November election. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he would "suspend" several of his initiatives — including the removal of the distinctive blue mail boxes that prompted an outcry — until after the election "to avoid even the appearance of impact on election mail." "We will deliver the nation's election mail on time," DeJoy said in a statement. The abrupt reversal from DeJoy, who is set to testify Friday before the Senate, comes as more than 20 states, from New York to California, announced they would be suing to stop the changes. Several vowed they would press on, keeping a watchful eye on the Postal Service ahead of the election.

Right2Vote Campaign

August 4, 2019 Amani Sawari, SawariMi.com. Create! Democracy, Human Rights, Prisoners, Right to Vote

This is a nationwide campaign being initiated by people currently confined in the United States. This campaign grew out of the August 21 National Prison Strike Demand #10: The voting rights of all confined citizens serving prison sentences, pretrial detainees, and so-called “ex-felons” must be counted. Representation is demanded. All voices count! To meet this 10th demand a collaborative effort of prison lead organizations and outside allies have an ongoing mission to bridge the gap with people that were formerly confined in order to build a potent voting bloc. The Right 2 Vote campaign has incorporated two initiatives, Bar 2 Ballots and Vote 4 me. Inside U.S prisons, there has been a wave of awareness building amongst those confined who understand that they must gain political power by capturing their right to vote in order to end the dehumanization process in the U.S jails, prisons, and even after release.

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