NVRI E-News: November 02, 2006
NVRI E-NEWS: Election Protection Hotline Available Again this Year
Dear Friends,
In this e-news, we have three items.
- National Voter Assistance Hotline Back up for 2006 election
- Briefing Papers on Election Challenges Now Available
- Danetz on "a tale of two states" - NVRA in Ohio and North Carolina
National Voter Assistance Hotline Back up for 2006 election
Voters and observers who experience problems on Election Day - or the days leading up to it - should call 1-866-OUR VOTE for live call center operators who will help with election problems. Numerous NVRI and Demos staffers will be staffing the Election Protection centers in New York and Washington next week. In addition to serving as a source of instant information and help, the hotline provided invaluable information about the workings and non-workings of the elections in 2004. In addition, the Election Protection organizations have a poll location website at www.MyPollingPlace.com. The services will include bilingual assistance for areas with a heavy concentration of Spanish-speaking voters.
To read a press release about the hotline, which is sponsored by the People For the American Way Foundation, the NAACP, and the Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, click here.
Briefing Papers on Election Challenges Now Available
Demos and NVRI have issued a series of briefing papers on the key challenges to Fair Elections this year. The papers - all of which are 2 to 6 pages long - provide concise information about some of the most difficult challenges to fair elections. The papers cover Voter ID and fraud, Provisional ballots, Ballot Access for Disabled and Minority Voters, Poll Worker Training, the National Voter Registration Act, Voter Intimidation and Suppression, Voter List Matching, Election Day Registration and Campaign Finance Reform. To read the papers, check the Demos website at www.demos.org.
Danetz on "a tale of two states" - NVRA in Ohio and North Carolina
Staff attorney Lisa Danetz has written an important article about the NVRA, and the vastly different ways in which two states have addressed their shortcomings in implementing the law. NVRA requires all states to provide voter registration at not only motor vehicle bureaus, but also a wide range of public service agencies. When contacted about their shortcomings, North Carolina responded quickly and aggressively to improve their compliance. Ohio, meanwhile, has done little but stonewall, saying they've done enough already. You can read it here.
Thanks for your support. In the near future, we'll be sharing more on voting machines and other developments at NVRI.
Best regards,
Stuart Comstock-Gay
Executive Director
National Voting Rights Institute
www.nvri.org