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  • August 15, 2012 6:49 pm | By Amelia

    UPDATE: Termination of evening and weekend voting sparks outrage in Ohio

    LATE-BREAKING: Secretary Husted has officially made the call for statewide early voting hours, 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday to start, then 8 am to 7 pm Monday through Friday for the last two weeks. UPDATE: Secretary Husted…

  • August 15, 2012 6:39 pm | By M. Jameson

    Two Powerhouse 501(c)(4) ‘Social Welfare Groups’ Buy Election Anonymously

    According to a new article in ProPublica by Kim Barker, two ‘dark money’ 501 (c)(4) conservative social welfare groups, Crossroads GPS and Americans for Prosperity, have outspent all super-PACs combined on advertising, pumping nearly $60 million into this year’s presidential…

  • August 13, 2012 6:10 pm | By Amelia

    Fighting student voter suppression

    As the Right ramps up its efforts to put up barriers to voting, from voter ID requirements to restrictions on third-party voter registration, it is becoming more urgent to empower students and defend their voting rights. That’s why People For…

  • August 13, 2012 2:54 pm | By Dylan

    UPDATE: Massachusetts working toward positive electoral reforms

    UPDATE: While H 4139 has not moved since it got to the Senate, there is some good news on another front: a short-term agreement has been reached in a lawsuit alleging that Massachusetts violated the National Voter Registration Act. 478,000…

  • August 13, 2012 1:45 pm | By Amelia

    UPDATE: Restrictive voter ID laws may impact trans people

    Update: On August 15, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) will release two new resources to help transgender Americans overcome barriers to voting. Voting While Trans: Preparing for the New Voter Suppression Laws will focus on ID requirements. Voting…

  • PHOTOS: Religious, Political Leaders Join Launch of People For Foundation Report, ’12 Rules for Mixing Religion and Politics’
    August 10, 2012 6:44 pm | By Miranda Blue

    PHOTOS: Religious, Political Leaders Join Launch of People For Foundation Report, ’12 Rules for Mixing Religion and Politics’

    Last week, People For the American Way Foundation launched a new report, “12 Rules for Mixing Religion and Politics,” which offers guidelines for policymakers and advocates seeking to bring faith into political debates. Joining us at a launch party for…

  • August 9, 2012 7:07 pm | By M. Jameson

    People For Raises Awareness of the ‘Romney Court’ on Sotomayor Anniversary

    PFAW Activists Rally Outside Romney Headquarters in Greentree, PA Yesterday marked the 3rd anniversary of Sonia Sotomayor officially assuming her office as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. People for the American Way, in partnership with…

  • August 9, 2012 4:55 pm | By Dylan

    Next Up: Leash Laws for Unicorns

    The Right’s so-called fight against voter fraud got a bit of airtime on The Daily Show this week, but that doesn’t mean the nationwide attack on voting rights is a laughing matter. Millions of dollars have been spent purging voter…

  • August 8, 2012 9:47 pm | By

    A Sotomayor or a Bork? The Decision Is Ours in November

    This post originally appeared in the Huffington Post. Three years ago today, the first Supreme Court confirmation battle of Barack Obama's presidency came to an end. Justice Sonia Sotomayor took the oath of office on August 8, 2009, after enduring…

  • August 8, 2012 9:23 pm | By Miranda Blue

    President Obama: A Romney Court Could ‘Turn Back the Clock for Women and Families for Decades’

    Speaking at a campaign event in Colorado today, President Obama laid out the crucial importance of the Supreme Court in November’s election: Today is the three-year anniversary of Sonia Sotomayor taking her seat on the Supreme Court. Yesterday was the…

  • August 7, 2012 8:27 pm | By Dylan

    Registration restrictions blocked in Texas

    In a ruling last week hailed by voting rights advocates, US District Judge Gregg Costa temporarily enjoined Texas Election Code provisions restricting voter registration, including those implemented by HB 2194, which has ALEC ties in author Larry Taylor and sponsor…

  • August 7, 2012 6:10 pm | By Jen Herrick

    New guidelines hit the free speech bullseye but miss the mark on bullying prevention

    On May 22, a coalition led by the American Jewish Committee and the Religious Freedom Project/First Amendment Center released Harassment, Bullying, and Free Expression: Guidelines for Free and Safe Public Schools. While we welcome the opportunity to keep the anti-bullying…

  • August 6, 2012 9:35 pm | By Amelia

    Keeping an eye on Kansas

    With Kansas set for its August 7 primary, voting rights supporters are waiting with bated breath to see how severe the suppressive effects of voter ID (sponsored by Representative Lance Kinzer, an ALEC member) will be. KanVote will have volunteers…

  • August 3, 2012 4:42 pm | By Amelia

    UPDATE: Right-wing Florida officials win fight for citizenship data

    UPDATE: New developments continue to shed light on the purge and its far-reaching impact. An article in the Atlantic details the possibility that it could lead to a 2000-style fiasco. A woman who is most certainly alivewas removed from the…

  • August 2, 2012 8:10 pm | By Dylan

    UPDATE: Michigan Primary raises citizenship question

    UPDATE: With the so-called Secure and Fair Elections package facing auncertain future, confusion is surely looming for Michigan’s August 7 federal primary election.The vetoed citizenship check box remains, but without legislative force behind it, as Secretary of State Ruth Johnson…

  • August 2, 2012 7:50 pm | By Paul Gordon

    Appeals Court Rejects Right Wing Attack on Hate Crimes Law

    A unanimous panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals today directly repudiated right-wing demagogues who claim that hate crimes legislation chills their First Amendment rights to preach against homosexuality. This stock talking point of the far right was the…

  • August 2, 2012 6:39 pm | By Amelia

    UPDATE: Voter ID trial begins in Pennsylvania

    UPDATE: In her testimony, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Carol Aichele conceded,"I don’t know what the law says," and could not support her claim that 99 percent of voters have an acceptable ID, while plaintiffs demonstrated that they have not been…

  • August 2, 2012 4:22 pm | By Calvin Sloan

    House Democrats Endorse the DARE Initiative

    Yesterday, House Democrats held a press conference highlighting the need to clean up the election system through what they are calling the DARE initiative. (To note, this is the same initiative Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi presented and spoke about in…

  • August 1, 2012 10:03 pm | By M. Jameson

    Prop 8 Backers Urge Supreme Court to Review

    The ballot initiative that revoked marriage equality in California has taken a big step towards having its constitutionality determined by America’s highest court.  In a long-awaited move, proponents of Prop 8 have petitioned the Supreme Court to review the Ninth Circuit’s…

  • August 1, 2012 3:31 pm | By Dylan

    NVRA enforcement crucial for voter participation

    With voting rights under attack nationwide, we must remember our democracy is only strongest when all citizens have the opportunity to participate – which is exactly why the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act has grown increasingly paramount ahead…