H-F Area LWV Co-Sponsors a Program on "Voting and Speaking Out" with the ACLU of Illinois

Recently the Homewood-Flossmoor Area League of Women Voters, along with the ACLU of Illinois, co-sponsored a program at the Flossmoor Library.  The topic -- "Voting and Speaking Out: Definding the Targets of Intolerance from Voter Suppression and Attacks on Free Speech" was presented by Karen Sheley, Staff Counsel for the ACLU of Illinois, and Syvia Tillman, former president of the H-F LWV. The program was moderated by Allie Carter, Advocacy and Outreach Director for the ACLU of Illinois.  This program was part of the activism series, "Defending the Targets of Intolerance from Voter Suppression and Attacks on Free Speech." 

Ms. Sheley began by giving an overview of the current problem of voting rights under attack in this country. She stated that states are making it harder for people to vote as legislatures pass voter suppression laws under the pretext of preventing voter fraud and safeguarding election integrity.  These regressive laws take many forms and pose significant barriers for eligible voters simply trying to exercise their most fundamental constitutional right.

During the 2011 legislative sessions, states across the country passed measures to make it harder for Americans -- particularly African-Americans, the elderly, students and people with disabilities -- to exercise their fundamental right to cast a ballot.  Over thirty states considered laws that would require voters to present government-issued photo ID in order to vote. The number of states with laws requiring voters to show government-issued photo identification quadrupled in 2011.   Ms. Sheley said studies suggest that up to 11 percent of American citizens -- over 21 million citizens -- lack such an ID and would be required to navigate the administrative burdens to obtain it or forego the right to vote entirely. In addition, the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law states that 18% of Americans over 65 lack photo ID, 25% of African-Americans lack photo ID, at least 7% of Americans lack proof of citizenship, and 34% of women lack proof of citizenship with their current legal name.  The Brennan Center estimates that as many as five million people will be unable to vote this year because of these new laws.

In Texas and Tennessee, concealed-carry licenses are accepted as a form of identification, yet student IDs are not accepted. 

Three additional states passed laws to require documentary proof of citizenship in order to register to vote, though as many as 7 percent of American citizens do not have such proof.  Seven states have shortened early voting time frames, even though over 30 percent of all votes cast in the 2008 general election were cast before Election Day.  Two state legislatures voted to repeal Election Day registration laws, though Election Day registration increases voter turnout by 10-12 percent.  Finally, two states passed legislation making it much more difficult for third-party organizations to register voters -- so difficult, in fact, that some voter registration organizations are leaving the states altogether because they simply cannot afford the fines that are imposed upon them.  Ms. Tillman said that the Florida LWV stopped registering voters there because local leagues cannot afford to pay the $50 fine per registered voter if the registration is not filed within TWO days -- to the minute -- of the person being registered.  Likewise, teachers who had become registrars in order to assist their students in becoming registered, also cannot meet the burden of potential fines, so they, too, have stopped participating in assisting in the registration of their students.

Despite this frenzy of state legislation to counteract so-called voter fraud and to protect the integrity of our elections, proponents of such voter suppression legislation have failed to show that voter fraud is a problem anywhere in the country, said Ms. Sheley.  Aside from the occasional unproven anecdote or baseless allegation, support of these laws simply cannot show that there is any need for them.  In fact, even though the Department of Justice has promised to vigorously prosecute allegations of voter fraud (2002: "Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative"), the federal government obtained only 26 convictions or guilty pleas for fraud between 2002 and 2005.  A 2007 study by the Brennan Center for Justice found that "by any measure, voter fraud is extraordinarily rare." 

Ms. Tillman spoke of action being taken by the LWV to fight these challenges to voters' rights by lobbying and by filing lawsuits against the state governments that have enacted the laws.  Currently there have been suits filed in Wisconsin, Texas, South Carolina, and Virginia.  In many cases the League has joined with other organizations in challenging these laws. 

What can be done to continue this fight?  Stay informed by joining organizations which advocate for voters' rights.  Log on to websites: The Brennan Center for Justice -- www.brennancenter.org/votingchanges2012 ; ACLU -- www.aclu.org/voter-suppression-america; League of Women Voters -- www.lwv.org  Talk to people about voting.  Hold voter registrations drives.