Across the country this November, voters have an opportunity to improve the quality of U.S. elections in their states, and for the country as a whole. Read more >
Michael's Latest Posts
Environmental Justice Requires Electoral Reform: New Analysis
September 27, 2018 6:44 PM EDT
The Center for Science and Democracy has released a new analysis, Building a Healthier Democracy: The Link Between Voting Rights and Environmental Justice, which demonstrates the negative impact of restrictive election laws on voter turnout across Congressional districts (see the report and our impact maps here). Read more >
Photo: KOMUnews/Flickr
As States Target University Students for Voter Suppression, Student Groups are Fighting Back
August 7, 2018 5:11 PM EDT
As the 2018 general midterm election approaches, college student voting rights are under attack. Students are being specifically targeted for voter suppression in a number of states by excluding student identification as an acceptable form of voter identification, tightening up residency requirements, and selectively spreading misinformation. Fortunately, in several states, campus-wide and student-led movements are organizing and mobilizing college voters in a recognition of the historic role that students have played in the civil and voting rights movements in the United States and abroad.
Supreme Court Ignores Science, Enables Voter Purging, But Data May Have Final Say
June 12, 2018 9:57 AM EDT
The Supreme Court, in a narrow 5-4 decision, has upheld a restrictive Ohio election law that initiates a process to purge eligible voters from its voter list if they fail to vote in a single election. A number of other states and localities have also implemented voter list purging tactics, and it is expected that this decision will result in additional states adopting more restrictive voter list purges. Read more >
Did My Tea Leaves Reveal the Supreme Court’s Upcoming Gerrymandering Ruling?
May 25, 2018 9:59 AM EDT
This morning, I stirred my green tea vigorously to see if it would reveal the Supreme Court’s opinion on two partisan gerrymandering cases that are soon to be released. The tea spilled, I scalded my lap, then wondered why any Decent American Patriot would sip tea while the nation awaits a decision of such historic significance. I then made a cup of coffee and resolved to give up fortune telling. So I won’t try and predict where the Court will come down on the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering. However, I will offer some guideposts to help interested parties (see what I did there) understand the significance of the decision when it comes.