Don't Let Ferguson Turnout Numbers Fool You. America, We Have a Problem.
Posted on What's New on April 09, 2015
Voter turnout in city council elections in Ferguson (MO) increased, and its elected representation is more reflective of its citizenry. But it's not time to celebrate. Executive director Rob Richie analyzes this story as part of disturbing trend in local voter turnout.
Read moreArkansas Voter ID Law Struck Down
Posted on What's New Matthew Bugajski on April 29, 2014
An explicit right to vote in the U.S. Constitution would prevent future debates over voter ID law.
Read moreRemembering Bob Edgar
Posted on What's New Cynthia Terrell on April 23, 2013
FairVote is saddened by the death of Common Cause president Bob Edgar, a tireless advocate for peace, justice, and democracy.
Read moreNew Commitment to Our Most Basic Right
Posted on What's New Mollie Hailey on December 13, 2012
Attorney General Holder has observed that, “too many citizens have reason to fear that their right to vote, their access to the ballot – and their ability to have their votes counted – is under threat.” Through reform of the systemic problems that plague our electoral process, we can combat this threat. We will ultimately need to think and act nationally; but now is the time for all of us to get involved in that effort in our cities and states.
Read moreFrom the Mouth of the President to the Ears of the People: We Have to Fix That
Posted on What's New Elizabeth Hudler on November 08, 2012
As was expected, problems at the polls abounded on November 6, nationwide. While glitches were reported across the country, voter-rights watchers paid particular attention to the swing states, where obstacles to ballot access in the form of registration ambiguities, voting-day misinformation, voter suppression tactics, and long, exhausting (and cold!) lines had potential to lower turnout and affect outcomes. President Barack Obama in his acceptance speechTuesday night, thanked people for waiting in those lines --- and then added, “By the way, we have to fix that.”
Read moreNew Report Highlights Our Primary Turnout Problem
Posted on What's New on October 05, 2012
A new report on plunging turnout in federal primary elections underscores a crisis of non-participation in American elections -- one that is far more pronounced and troubling in primary elections and city elections than for higher-profile elections for president and Congress. There are concrete actions we could take to boost participation and give voters more choice and better representation in our elections.
Read moreLet's Get Voter Registration Right — and Make it Universal
Posted on What's New Elise Helgesen on February 13, 2012
Our broken voter registration system is a direct barrier to participation. In fact, if every single registered voter participated this November, we still would trail many nations in turnout. It won't take rocket science to ensure that every eligible voter is registered to vote and that all ineligible voters are not. It's time to make a national commitment to voting in the United States; doing so must include modernizing voter registration.
Read moreLearning a Lesson from Egypt's Universal Voter Registration
Posted on What's New Elise Helgesen on December 07, 2011
Egypt recently began the process of electing members to its People's Assembly. Egypt's parliamentary elections provide an example for the United States worth taking note. Egypt uses a system of universal voter registration, which helped bring large numbers of voters to the polls. FairVote believes this type of universal voter registration would modernize and improve the type of voter registration in American elections.
Read moreRemember Young People in Maryland's April Primary
Posted on What's New Tyler Sadonis on November 07, 2011
17-year-old primary voting is a great way to start getting young people involved in the political process. Unfortunately, many election and party officials do not promote it.
Read moreWhy Settle? A Review of the Conference on "Creating the Voting Rights Act of 2012"
Posted on What's New Christina Grier on November 04, 2011
The electoral reform organization Why Tuesday? held a conference on November 7 to address existing voting barriers, and offered solutions on how to fix an electoral system that is still functioning under 20th century guidelines. Panelists presented information on issues such as restrictive voter ID laws, voter fraud, and ways to modernize the registration process.
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