For most states this year, the economic crisis has taken precedent over other serious policy issues, including election reform. In fact, the few key states that are dedicating this year's session to election reform instead of major budget issues are stirring up voters as they put their rights on the line. Like the highly publicized battles to pass voter ID in Texas and proof-of-citizenship registration requirements in Georgia, Florida's notorious 80-plus page omnibus election bill takes the cake in breaking the spirit of democracy.

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Cross-posted at Project Vote's blog, Voting Matters

Weekly Voting Rights News Update

By Erin Ferns

Recent analyses of the 2008 general election find that overall participation increased on November 4, with a significant surge in voter participation among historically underrepresented Americans. Yet, while some lawmakers have been inspired by the recent voter turnout to propose election reforms that expand access to voting rights, others continue to focus on creating additional barriers to voting.

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Of corruption that is, not stupidity.  I still think that just sending people out to register voters on a quasi-commission basis was a dumb move, and my biggest fear isn't that Obama or other Democrats will be tainted with voter fraud charges.  My concern is that this will provide Republicans with more excuse to purge voter rolls and cage anybody registered by ACORN.

Obviously there's no way these false voter registrations can impact the election unless people actually show up to vote under these names.  It doesn't seem likely.  In fact, using celebrity names would be a stupid way to go about it.  This is obviously a problem of ACORN being taken by economically desperate individuals who either should not have been hired at all, or otherwise supervised much more closely.

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By Elizabeth Westfall, Advancement Project
Wendy Weiser, Brennan Center for Justice
Michael Slater, Project Vote

In the past three weeks, Florida courts and election officials have dealt three blows to Floridians who want to cast their ballots in this year's presidential election. In three separate cases, the Florida Secretary of State, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and a federal District Court each issued decisions that will collectively block tens of thousands of eligible Florida citizens from getting on the voter rolls and voting in the 2008 elections.   In an election season with thousands of voters trying to take part for the first time, Florida is creating new bureaucratic obstacles, rather than knocking them down.  Fortunately, it is not too late for the Governor, the Secretary of State, or the state legislature to intervene.

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