Nonprofits Play Role in Legislative Push to Remove Barriers to Voting

Nonprofits are playing a key role in a recent legislative push to remove barriers from the voting process. Various organizations have kept voting issues at the forefront by continuously informing the public about policies and tactics that disenfranchise voters. These organizations' efforts focus on military voting concerns, online voter registration, and election reform as a means to ensure that all citizens are able to vote as easily as possible.

On Oct. 28, President Barack Obama signed the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, which is designed to address barriers affecting military and overseas voters in federal elections by allowing them to access voter information online. It passed Congress with bipartisan support from legislators who "decried an antiquated voting system that left as many as one out of four overseas ballots uncounted," according to Roll Call [1].

This is a major victory for nonprofits that have been trumpeting this issue. Count US In [2], a nonprofit organization that addresses issues with absentee voting for military personnel, has been active in spreading awareness of problems that disenfranchise our men and women in uniform. The group provides website links to help service members find information on candidates, voting organizations that can help address individual issues, and obtaining absentee ballots.

The Overseas Vote Foundation [3], another nonprofit organization, has also been active in ensuring that Americans overseas are able to exercise their right to vote. The organization provides nonpartisan voter registration, state-specific voter information guides, help desk services, an election official directory, and assistance with ballot requests for U.S. overseas citizens and military members and families. The group's goal is to help overseas citizens and military members vote easier, faster, and more accurately. Overseas Vote Foundation also keeps readers abreast of the latest news concerning absentee voting.

There has also been a major push to implement online voter registration. A bill currently before Congress would "require all states to offer online voter registration by 2012," according to Roll Call. This would be a major challenge for the vast majority of the country and would require most states to significantly upgrade their procedures. Currently, "only six states offer some form of online voter registration, while half allow voters to verify their registration online. For most states, the voting system is a hodgepodge of snail mail, voter registration drives and polling places," notes Roll Call.

The online voter registration bill would bring the voter registration process in line with the convenience of other aspects of daily living. "Many voters expect to be able to register to vote online as part of their normal routine," Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), the sponsor of the bill, told Roll Call. "They are used to the convenience of online tools in their daily life and registering to vote should be just as easy and accessible as banking and bill paying," Lofgren said.

Katie Blinn, the assistant director of elections in the state of Washington, told BNA [4] (subscription required) that "[v]oters are eager to be able to register online." She said that "a link on the website of Washington's Secretary of State drew new voter registrations at the rate of 1,500 a day after the option for online registration was announced. In all, 158,000 new voters registered online in Washington last year, the first year that option was available."

There are also election reform efforts in localities around the nation. On Nov. 3, the City Council of the District of Columbia gave final approval on legislation that will implement no-excuse early voting and allow individuals to register to vote at the polls on Election Day. It will also encourage young people to vote by allowing 16-year-olds to pre-register and 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the general election to vote in the primary, according to Common Dreams [5], a nonprofit citizens' organization and media outlet.

FairVote [6], a nonprofit that seeks to provide universal access to electoral participation, was active in urging the D.C. Council to pass the legislation. The organization testified before the Council in support of the Omnibus Election Reform Act of 2009. FairVote told the Council that "this bill will ... lay the groundwork for a 21st Century voter registration system that anticipates participation as opposed to the current 19th Century system that places hurdles along the way to the ballot box."

Image in teaser from flickr user theocean [7], used under a Creative Commons license