🗽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 26th 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
Click here to signup for our next training: Stop Project 2025: Mobilize for Change
Click here to upgrade your subscription or become a paid subscriber
Give us a ❤️ Heart and Leave a comment on this post
Share this post on Substack, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads
Get Protect Democracy on the Substack app
Protect Democracy - News Briefs - October 26, 2024
Virginia’s Obviously Illegal Voter Purge Was Illegal, Court Rules
Mother Jones By Arianna Coghill
“This program puts the voter registration and the fundamental rights of all Virginians on the line based on conspiracies that have no evidence,” said Anna Dorman, counsel with voting rights nonprofit Protect Democracy.
Republican, former Air Force colonel decry voter suppression
Washington Post Opinions
The Overseas Citizens Voting Rights Act of 1975 opened the door for both political parties to organize and facilitate voting for all Americans, no matter their location.
Battleground states flooded with voting lawsuits weeks out from Election Day
NBC News By Adam Edelman
Voting rights experts said the Republican-led suits could help bolster efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to challenge the outcome in November if he loses.
Trump renews baseless claims of election cheating, pairing 2020 lies with fresh threats
LA Times By Kevin Rector
“Sadly we have seen this playbook before,” said Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the Voting Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, which is fighting legal challenges to voter access initiatives and protections nationwide.
Protecting Your Vote: 1 in 5 Election Day polling places have closed over last decade
ABC News By Maia Rosenfeld, Steve Osunsami Verified, Kaitlyn Morris, Tomas Navia, Peter Charalambous
The analysis found that polling place closures accelerated in 2013 after the Supreme Court rolled back key provisions of the Voting Rights Act in the case Shelby County
Arizona county supervisor who delayed 2022 certification of results accepts plea deal
ABC Nerws By Lucien Bruggeman, Laura Romero
Peggy Judd declined to certify the 2022 midterm elections with another Republican supervisor, Thomas Crosby, citing baseless concerns about voting systems. The two initially pleaded not guilty in December. Crosby's case is still ongoing. "Mrs. … "It may seem odd to people that [the county officials] who are certifying the election aren't necessarily the ones that investigate all the things that happened in the election," said Sean Morales-Doyle, a voting rights expert at the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonprofit think tank.
Protect Democracy - Video Highlights - October 26, 2024
Donald Trump gets an early start on failed election lawsuits
MSNBC
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.