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    ‘voting rights’

    A messed up system

    Friday, January 29th, 2010

    It’s a new election year and you know what that means? Messed up voter registration systems. It’s getting old – it’s time once and for all to modernize the way we register to vote. Ever gone to your polling place only to be told that you weren’t on the voter rolls? Did you skip voting in an election because you didn’t know if you were registered at your new address? Did you get purged from the voter rolls, but don’t know why it happened? Are you concerned that 65 million eligible voters aren’t registered to vote?

    Yeah – it’s messed up. We are pushing for reform and want you to join us.

    Please vote for our plan to modernize our voter registration systems on Change.org and the top vote getters will have their idea presented to top decision makers in Washington, DC.

    The United States is one of the few major democracies that puts the onus of voter registration on the people who wish to exercise their right. Our antiquated, confusing, expensive and unnecessarily complex voter registration system has been called “the single greatest cause of voting problems in the United States.” There is a better way: universal voter registration that is both automatic and permanent.

    (Like what you’re reading – vote for the idea now.)

    What does that mean? It means that state governments would be responsible for building and maintaining complete and accurate lists of voters by using available databases. It means that when you move, you don’t get kicked off the rolls. (How come the IRS and every company sending you a catalog knows that you’ve moved, but the Secretary of State doesn’t?) It means that deadlines don’t get missed, forms don’t get lost in the mall, and data doesn’t get entered wrong. It means that if you show up on election day and for some reason aren’t on the rolls or discover an error, you can fix the problem, cast your ballot, and have your vote counted.

    (Sounds rational and reasonable to me! Vote.)

    We can have a modern, accurate, reliable voter registration system that gets rid of paperwork, saves taxpayers millions of dollars each year, reduces the burden on both citizens and government officials, and guarantees that everyone who is eligible to vote is registered to vote. Our democracy demands no less.

    Amen.

    ~Mary

    Yesterday was a big day

    Friday, September 18th, 2009

    If you’re going through your day-to-day life you most likely aren’t tracking all the legislation and political moves that affect the big picture of us as a generation. Don’t worry, that’s why we’re here and all I have to say is yesterday was a huge day for young people. Huge. Why do you ask? Let me tell you:

    1) The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3221) passed the House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 253-171. Are you in college, been to college, want to go to college, know someone who wants to/would like to go to college – then this applies to you. The quick recap (but you can read all the details here)

    • It will increase the maximum Pell Grant scholarship award to $5,500 in 2010 and to $6,900 by 2019 and linking it to match cost of living increases.
    • It lowers interest rates on need-based federal student loans.
    • It simplifies the FAFSA form to make it easier to apply for federal student aid.
    • It expands access to low-cost Perkins loans.
    • The bill invests in community colleges and college-readiness programs.
    • And it ends a ridiculous policy that gives banks wasteful subsidies on student loans and use the savings — as much as $87 billion over 10 years — to help students pay for college.

    You can say it – yep, that’s pretty great. Now it’s on to the Senate!

    HC Rally Pic v22) President Obama finally addressed young people in his rousing address on health care at the University of Maryland yesterday. I was there, imagine about 17,000 students and young people packed into the Comcast Center (where the Terps play basketball) and the President taking his 45 minute speech to directly talk to us as a generation. When was the last time you heard a speech about health care that didn’t include a huge section about senior citizens? (I’ve got nothing but love for my older friends but this health care debate affects ALL of us). Read his remarks here.

    Health insurance reform means so much for us – we need it to:

    • End discrimination for pre-existing conditions, stop insurance companies from dropping us if we get sick, and cap the amount of money insurance companies charge for co-pays, out-of-pocket expenses, and deductibles;
    • President Obama at the University of Maryland

    • Let us stay on our parent’s insurance until we are 26 and let us keep affordable insurance if we change jobs or lose our jobs;
    • Give us choices of policies that fit our lifestyle and our budgets in a health insurance exchange (with a public option) and provide assistance to those that still can’t afford insurance.
    • Cover preventative care and regular checkups at no cost.

    You with us? Sign our pledge to get involved in our campaign.

    3) And last but not least – in voter protection news, the Indiana Court of Appeals has struck down the state’s voter ID law. Indiana had one of the worst voter ID laws in the country that primarily affected young people and low income people creating a voting system that was not equal for all of us. It’s a victory in the long fight for equal voting rights for all.

    Not bad for one day…

    ~Mary

    Voting Constitutional Amendment?

    Monday, July 6th, 2009
    supreme court

    On June 30th a few of the Rock the Vote interns attended a conference in Washington D.C. on voting rights and we wanted to relay the highlights. The New America Foundation joined with fair elections advocates FairVote to organize “The Future of the Voting Rights Act” conference in which some of the nation’s top voting rights experts came together to review the NAMUDNO case (Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District v. Holder) and its impacts, and also to think more comprehensively about voting rights.

    The Supreme Court on June 22 upheld a key provision of the Voting Rights Act in the NAMUDNO case. The Court in an 8-1 majority, ruled  that a full and equal right to vote is at the core of our democracy. Although the United States has made significant progress in protecting voting rights, discrimination still requires attention and enforcement. The experts at the conference believed that this ruling should inspire further action to enhance protections of the right to vote, and gave proposals like universal voter registration, proportional voting systems and a constitutional right to vote.

    The Constitutional Right to Vote was a major topic of discussion. The panelists believed the right to vote should be the foundation of any democracy. Yet, most Americans do not realize that we do not in fact have a constitutional right to vote. Because there is no right to vote in the U.S. Constitution, individual states set their own electoral policies and procedures in areas such as ballot design, polling hours, voting equipment, voter registration requirements and ex-felon voting rights.

    The proposal for adding a Right to Vote Amendment to the U.S Constitution would:

    • Guarantee the right of every citizen 18 and over to vote
    • Empower Congress to set national minimum electoral standards for all states to follow
    • Provide protection against attempts to disenfranchise individual voters
    • Ensure that every vote cast is counted correctly

    For more information on all things voting rights, head over to Fairvote’s Website: http://www.fairvote.org/

    We would like to know what you think about this issue. Should Rock the Vote support the proposed implementation of  a constitutional amendment for the right to vote?

    The Supreme Leader’s Speech

    Friday, June 19th, 2009

    In a speech this morning the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened the Iranian people against further protests. Here are some of the headlines coming out of it:

    “Khamenei says Iran vote was ‘definitive victory’: Supreme leader defends Ahmadinejad, sternly warns against ‘chaos’” ~MSNBC

    Iran’s Supreme Leader Demands End to Election Protests~Washington Post

    ‘Definitive Victory’ : Iran’s supreme leader says presidential election wasn’t rigged, warns protesters will be ‘held responsible’ ~Fox News

    Join us in sending your message of support for free speech and democracy to young Iranians.

    http://www.rockthevote.com/campaigns/iran/

    Reaction to the Iranian Election

    Monday, June 15th, 2009

    The recent Iranian elections have provided a lot for us to think about.  While there is controversy surrounding the result, providing an example of why transparency and accountability is important in elections, Iran had a record turnout with about 40 million people, or 85% of the voting public, turning out the polls.  In Iran, it seems there is a sense of urgency and duty in voting, a trend that is being mirrored in elections here at home with the youth vote increasing in the ’04, ’06 and ’08 elections.

    In the unrest that has followed the election in Iran, we have been reminded what young people can do when partnered with technology.  According to an article on The Australian, the Iranian government has blocked mobile phone networks and restricted access to certain websites.  However, access to Twitter has not yet been restricted, allowing users to broadcast updates from the ongoing protests in the streets of Tehran.  These tactics are often used by hard-line candidates to suppress young voter turnout, a group that favors more moderate candidates.  In 2007, the voting age in Iran was raised from 15 to 18.  Three weeks prior to this election Facebook, on which Mir Hossein Mousavi, Ahmedinejad’s moderate opponent, has nearly 50,000 supporters, was banned.  After much criticism, the ban was quickly lifted.  In the U.S., Twitter has even allowed many to voice their displeasure over the lack of coverage the movement is receiving from major cable news networks.

    Despite conflicting results continuing to be reported, we remain hopeful that due diligence will be taken to count every vote cast.  Iran can take a responsible step toward improved international relations simply by allowing the results of the election to be tabulated carefully and accurately, restoring the people’s voice.  That is, after all, the singular and indivisible purpose of an election.

    We’ll keep you updated on this story and what it means for young voters around the world, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.  Follow us on Twitter to get the latest updates: http://twitter.com/RockTheVote.

    -Michael, Political Research Department