Latest Voting rights News
Attorneys want the US Supreme Court to say Mississippi's felony voting ban is cruel and unusual
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court should overturn Mississippi's Jim Crow-era practice of removing voting rights from people convicted of certain felonies, including nonviolent crimes such as forgery and timber theft, attorneys say in new court papers. Most of the people...
Tennessee to count provisional ballots by people convicted of felonies who had rights in limbo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee will count the provisional ballots cast by six people convicted of felonies who had their voting rights recently restored under judges' rulings, but had been placed in limbo after state officials filed a flurry of legal motions arguing that they had to get their...
Virginia Democrats advance efforts to protect abortion, voting rights, marriage equality
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrats who control both chambers of the Virginia legislature are hoping to make good on promises made on the campaign trail, including becoming the first Southern state to expand constitutional protections for abortion access. The House Privileges and...
Judge strikes down New York law intended to protect minority groups' voting power
A judge has struck down a state law that made it easier for New Yorkers to sue over electoral divisions and voting rules that weakened the political voice of minority groups, saying its special protections based on race and ethnicity are unconstitutional. Orange County state court...
Federal judge lets Iowa keep challenging voter rolls although naturalized citizens may be affected
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge ruled Sunday that Iowa can continue challenging the validity of hundreds of ballots from potential noncitizens even though critics said the effort threatens the voting rights of people who’ve recently become U.S. citizens. U.S. District...
Voting rights groups worry AI models are generating inaccurate and misleading responses in Spanish
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — With just days before the presidential election, Latino voters are facing a barrage of targeted ads in Spanish and a new source of political messaging in the artificial intelligence age: chatbots generating unfounded claims in Spanish about voting rights. AI...
People with felony records can now vote in Nebraska — and it could help tip the balance in November
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s top election official had no authority to strip voting rights from people convicted of a felony, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in a decision that could add hundreds of new voters to the rolls and potentially help tip the balance on Nov. 5. ...
Voting rights groups seek investigation into Wisconsin text message
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Voting rights advocates on Tuesday asked state and federal authorities to investigate anonymous text messages apparently targeting young Wisconsin voters, warning them not to vote in a state where they are ineligible. Free Speech for People, on behalf of the...
Appeals court maintains block on Alabama absentee ballot restrictions
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A portion of a new Alabama law limiting help with absentee ballot applications will remain blocked, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday, siding with voting rights groups who argued that it discriminated against voters who are blind, disabled or cannot read. ...
A federal judge will hear more evidence on whether to reopen voter registration in Georgia
ATLANTA (AP) — At least for now, a federal judge won’t order the state of Georgia to reopen voter registration for November’s elections. U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross ruled after a Wednesday hearing that three voting rights groups haven’t yet done enough to prove that...
