On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that requires a number of states and many local governments -- mostly in the South -- to get federal permission before changing their voting procedures. Judith Browne-Dianis makes the case for why that provision is still crucial today. More...
FACING SOUTH - Online Magazine of the Institute for Southern Studies
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Results tagged “voting rights”
The U.S. Supreme Court avoided ruling on the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act -- in essence protecting it -- while agreeing to allow a small utility district in Texas to opt out of the provision. More...
In a decision praised by voting rights advocates, the Justice Department ruled against Georgia's voter verification program, calling the citizenship screening system flawed and unfair to minorities. More...
Judge Sonia Sotomayor has established a record as a defender of expanding voting rights -- putting her squarely at odds with the GOP's ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Alabama Sen. Jefferson Sessions. More...
Georgia has passed a law requiring that all residents prove their citizenship before they can register to vote, a policy that is far more restrictive than the other photo ID requirements that have been passed across the country. More...
Georgia, South Carolina and Texas are all moving forward with bills that erect new obstacles for voters -- and a looming Supreme Court decision may impact the ability to use the Voting Rights Act to challenge the new laws. More...
The Florida press is rallying against a last-minute push by state Republicans to legislate a massive re-write of the election code and restrict voting. And GOP Gov. Charlie Crist -- looking to a future Senate run -- isn't happy. More...
After limiting debate to six minutes, Florida Republicans pushed an 81-page bill proposing a host of new voting restrictions out of a House committee last week. A similar bill is coming to the Senate floor -- and with big majorities in both chambers, will the GOP succeed in changing Florida elections? More...
The Department of Justice has accused election officials in Clay County, Kentucky with changing election results on electronic voting machines -- the first federal charges ever brought for e-vote tampering. Christian Smith-Socaris reports. More...
Passing voter ID laws is quickly becoming one of the GOP's top issues for the 2009 legislative session. From Texas to South Carolina, lawmakers are working to see the controversial voter laws take root in the South. More...
The Supreme Court announced Friday that it will decide whether Congress went too far in extending the life of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark civil rights legislation from 1965. More...
Many U.S. troops serving overseas are effectively excluded from voting because they are not given enough time to cast absentee ballots. More...
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine proposed legislation Wednesday to allow for no-excuse, in-person absentee voting in Virginia as a way to reduce long lines at polls and make voting more convenient. More...
Bernard Madoff's victims weren't just the New York and Hollywood elite. Hundreds of nonprofits -- including leading advocates of voting rights in the South -- will suffer from the $50 billion investor scandal. More...
Several Georgia state lawmakers plan to push legislation that would allow the popular vote -- rather than the Electoral College -- decide who wins presidential elections. More...
Alabama Secretary of State Beth Chapman this week announced that she will push for a bill to allow military personnel and others living overseas to cast ballots online. More...
Civil rights lawyers are asking a three-judge federal panel to revive a lawsuit challenging Georgia's voter ID law. Attorney Emmet Bondurant asked the panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday to reconsider a 2007 ruling by a... More...
Obama has taken heat for his administration posts, but Melody Barnes was an early champion of voting rights for immigrant citizens. More...
The Senate Judiciary Committee has released a report on its investigation into "the unprecedented mass firings of Federal prosecutors" by the Bush Administration. The dubious debate over "voter fraud" plays center stage. More...
Chris will be on the radio/TV program "Democracy Now!" at 8:30 a.m. EDT today talking about voting rights. To watch or listen live, click here.... More...
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