Tag Archives: election rights

Same-day registration could yield high voter turnout in Maine

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Same-sex marriage is returning to the ballot in November, three years after Maine voters rejected the law. Election Day registration, which Maine voters restored last year, could increase turnout among same-sex marriage supporters. And with presidential candidates on the ballot, turnout for both sides is likely to be high.

Marriage rights passed in the spring of 2009 by the Democratic Maine Legislature and governor, then the law was rejected in November 2009 when 53 percent voted to repeal it. The People’s Veto repeated last November when voters restored Election Day registration, which the Republican-controlled Maine Legislature ended five months prior.

Republicans generally oppose Election Day registration, saying that it leaves elections vulnerable to error.

Election Day registration could mean higher turnout for same-sex marriage supporters, said Mike Tipping, a magazine blogger and communications director for the progressive grassroots organization that led the People’s Veto in 2011.

“I think it could affect the vote,” Tipping said. “I think that people who are registering for the first time might be more likely to be young, and might be more likely to support marriage rights.”

The 2011 election was the first in 38 years when Maine residents could not 
register and vote on Election Day. Sixty percent of the 400,000 who voted last November, supported Election Day registration. But the turnout to repeal same-sex marriage was greater, drawing 570,000 voters in 2009.

By Alex Remington, News21

 

Photo ID opponents struggle to find disenfranchised Tennessee voters

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Tennessee’s photo voter ID law took effect in January, and while no lawsuits have been filed, lawyers are looking for affected voters willing to challenge the law.

The American Civil Liberties Union has been trying to file a lawsuit, but no plaintiffs have come forward.

“They remain silent and their right to vote is chilled, through no fault of their own,” said Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the ACLU in Tennessee, “and they’re being labeled as apathetic.”

Many potential clients have been able ultimately to acquire the necessary ID, said attorney George Barrett.

Tennessee is not subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, so officials there do not need federal approval to change state and local election law. States with voter ID challenges such as South Carolina and Texas, which need Section 5 pre-clearance, have lawsuits pending and building a case in these states is easier than in Tennessee, Barrett said, because of the federal requirement.

By Kassondra Cloos, News21