🗽Protect Democracy
🗽Stay informed with daily news updates to hold our leaders accountable and protect democracy. A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.
Today in 🗽Protect Democracy, we’re featuring: October 28, 2024 news briefs, Brief on the Freedom to Vote Act, and calls-to-action.
Together, we can realize a democracy that represents, reflects, and responds to all of us.
For far too long, special interests, ultra-wealthy donors, and vote suppressors have dominated our politics and attempted to silence the voices of everyday Americans, especially in Black and Brown communities.
America's democracy is under attack as the MAGA agenda seeks to undermine our democratic institutions, erode the rule of law, and strip away the rights that ensure every voice is heard and every vote counts. Join us to champion our rights, freedoms, and democracy, hold our leaders accountable to the people's will, and inspire voters to make a meaningful difference.
Together we can Protect Democracy
Click here to Tell your member of Congress to co-sponsor and support the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
Call your member of Congress today (202) 224-3121 and ask them to support the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
Click here to Tell Congress: Overturn Citizens United
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Protect Democracy - News Briefs - October 28, 2024
As election workers face increasing hostility, we spent time with them on the ground
USA Today By Phillip M. Bailey, Mary Jo Pitzl, Trevor Hughes, Erik Pfantz, John Wisely, Deborah Berry
The part-time job is part of a nonpartisan effort called Election Protection, a national coalition of civil rights and voting rights groups whose workers take calls, track complaints and visit polling sites to address voter concerns.
Millions of teens will cast their first ballot. Here’s how they feel.
Washington Post By Karina Elwood, Susan Svrluga, Hannah Natanson
Some high school seniors and college freshmen — among the 8 million newly eligible to vote this year, according to a Washington Post analysis of census data — will be casting ballots at the same time as they’re taking classes about voting rights, elections and democracy.
This Arizona border town shows one path to a Trump victory
Washington Post By Sabrina Rodriguez, Dan Keating
But liberal voting-rights groups have said the charges intimidated innocent voters and fueled baseless conspiracy theories.
New York Times Opinion
Somerville saw African American politicians swept into political office when Black voting rights seemed secure. Her son saw those politicians swept out again when Reconstruction collapsed, and the Southern states stripped Black Americans of the citizenship rights they had so briefly enjoyed.
Election fact check: Noncitizens can't vote, and instances are 'vanishingly rare'
ABC News By Peter Charalambous
"It amounts to a vanishingly rare phenomenon that is not going to impact the outcome of our elections in any real way, and where the people who actually are violating the law are held accountable," said Sean Morales-Doyle, a voting rights expert at the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonprofit think tank
Americans on the Election: God Forbid It Should Go to the Court!
The Prospect By Harold Meyerson
One such decision was , in which the Republicans signed on to a Roberts opinion striking down the key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, which had allowed for federal oversight of election laws and processes in states and counties with histories of racial discrimination.
The big lie 2.0: Trump plan to subvert 2024 election more organized than ever
The Guardian By Sam Levine
“The effort to try to subvert the outcome is more thought-out, more strategic, more organized, more coordinated in 2020,” said Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the voting rights program at the Brennan Center for Justice. Republicans are primed to support Trump’s efforts.
Protect Democracy - Video Highlights - October 28, 2024
Protecting Democracy: The Real Meaning of January 6th & the Constitution | Congressman Jamie Raskin
What is the Freedom to Vote Act?
With the Freedom to Vote Act, we can finally take action against some of the largest issues plaguing our democracy. It will protect the right to vote, end partisan gerrymandering, combat election subversion, and decrease the power of big moneyed special interests. Together we can realize a democracy that represents, reflects, and responds to all of us.
TOPLINES
Freedom to Vote Act and Voting Rights:
Since the 2013 Shelby v. Holder SCOTUS decision, we have less federal voting rights protections than in the decades before.
We must ensure the freedom to vote for all Americans to have our vote counted and voice heard.
The Freedom to Vote Act will modernize our voting system and prevent blatant attempts to silence our voices so that we all have the freedom to vote
The Freedom to Vote Act helps dismantle barriers erected to keep Black, Indigenous, young and new Americans from voting, including long lines and eliminated polling places, targeted restrictions to registration, and overt voter intimidation.
Freedom to Vote Act and Money in Politics
We must build a campaign finance system that ensures our elected leaders listen to every American — not just the rich and powerful.
Our current pay-to-play system silences the voices of Black, brown, young, and new Americans and gives unchecked power to the wealthy few.
The Freedom to Vote Act tackles corruption by ensuring that our government works for us by reducing the influence of big money in politics and increasing ethical standards for our elected officials.
In order to make progress on the issues that Americans care most about such as, health care, racial justice, reproductive rights, and environmental justice, we must build a system that serves the people, rather than the interests of the rich and powerful.
Freedom to Vote Act and Election Sabotage:
The Freedom to Vote Act would set new national standards for voters to safely and freely cast our ballots, ensure that trusted local election officials count every vote, and prevent partisan politicians from sabotaging our elections.
State Anti-Voter Bills
With states across the country working to pass bills that attack our freedom to vote, we need national standards to ensure that we all have equal access to the ballot.
These restrictive voter policies are designed to disenfranchise black, brown, and indigenous communities, as well as people with disabilities, college students, low income voters, and more.
We need federal government action to ensure that the will of the people prevails.
Rights Restoration for Felony Disenfranchisement
Restoring the freedom to vote for formerly and currently incarcerated Americans would allow them to fulfill an important civic duty, help those released to successfully re-integrate into their communities, and make us all safer. (Additional Talking points from Stand Up America)
Disenfranchisement disproportionately impacts the vote of Black and Brown communities.
Progress has been made on the state level, but we need to enact federal legislation securing every American’s right to vote.
People Power United’s Statement on Protecting Democracy
In response to recent MAGA shenanigans to suppress votes and stop voting rights bills like the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act from passing, People Power United - a progressive grassroots group - issued the following statement:
“America's democracy is under attack as the MAGA agenda seeks to undermine our democratic institutions, erode the rule of law, and strip away the rights that ensure every voice is heard and every vote counts. There is no power like that of the people, and People Power United stands ready to protect our communities against any and all injustices,” said Laurie Woodward García of People Power United.
People Power United will continue to oppose such harm to our community and champion civil rights for all.
Join us to build People Power! Together, we can champion our rights, freedoms, and democracy, hold our leaders accountable to the people's will, and inspire voters to make a meaningful difference.
Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests)
People Power United | In this community, we will always speak out against racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny, sexism, ageism, ableism, sizeism, elitism, transphobia, misogynoir, and bigotry! Check out our 2023 recap post to see how impactful our scrappy People Power United group is!
People Power United is a group of community members that champions progressive values and power for the people.