Dr Fauzia Khan’s Post

Judicial Watch Sues California to Force Clean-Up of Voting Rolls: Judicial Watch, in partnership with the Libertarian Party of California, has taken legal steps to ensure that California’s voter rolls are accurate and up-to-date. A lawsuit filed in federal court seeks to prompt California to fulfill its obligations under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, targeting the accuracy of voter registration lists. Recent findings suggest discrepancies in voter roll maintenance across various counties in California. Certain counties reportedly made minimal efforts to remove ineligible voters, which is seen as non-compliant with federal mandates. The initiative is part of Judicial Watch's broader mission to ensure electoral integrity. Their efforts have led to substantial voter roll cleanups across the United States, advocating for transparent and lawful electoral processes. Read more:

Happy birthday Australian compulsory voting. 100 years old this week! A big thank you to The Conversation Australia + NZ for reminding us why we should celebrate compulsory voting and the ways it strengthens out democracy. Emeritus Professor Paul Strangio's article is a very readable and fascinating account of the impact of the Australian voting system. I support compulsory voting because it creates a personal relationship between people, our three levels of governance and those elected to represent us. Saturday voting, cake stalls and sausage sizzles, as well as remote and mobile voting stations in remote locations, help to make elections a memory of growing up in Australia. The high voter turn out of over 90%, combined with the independence and integrity of the Australian Electoral Commission and state based counterparts, gives legitimacy to election outcomes in this country. Compulsory voting also increases accountability - in election campaigns, candidates must speak to all voters, not only their base. As Professor Strangio puts it: "Under a compulsory voting system, middle-of-the-road citizens and their concerns and sensibilities count. This inhibits the trend towards polarisation and grievance politics evident in other parts of the globe. It helps explain why Australia has been less receptive to the aggressive conservative populism that has taken root in the United States and Europe." Interesting fact: compulsory voting was introduced by the Queensland Liberal Government of Digby Denham in 1915 and nationally in 1924 following a private members bill by Senator HJM Payne (Nat.Tas) and sponsored in the House of Representatives by Edward Martin (Nat. Perth). (AEC Compulsory voting in Australia) I highly recommend grabbing a cuppa, and why not a cup cake, to enjoy with this great read. Let's give a nod to the strengths of our system of democracy. Misha Ketchell Lisa Watts #democracyinaction #integrity #accountability https://lnkd.in/giwqqm_i

Chapman law professor Nahal Kazemi was quoted in MyNewsLA, where she shared her view on the recently announced lawsuit between the State of California and the City of Huntington Beach–the state is challenging the legality of a new voter-identification measure recently voted in by Huntington Beach residents. Professor Kazemi acknowledges some of the practical challenges that face both the city and the Huntington Beach electorate should the measure stand while also acknowledging that, at face value, the state seems to have a much stronger legal case.   Read more: https://lnkd.in/gGvWj_eg #chapmanu #chapmanlaw #law #lawschool #elections

“Expanding the vote in Minnesota: Take Minnesota, for example. There, in 2023, the state legislature passed, and the governor signed, the Democracy for the People Act. This omnibus bill contained landmark voting rights and election reform advances: ● It allows 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote and have their registration automatically activated when they turn 18. ● It establishes automatic voter registration at all motor vehicle agencies and at public assistance agencies that serve primarily low-income people. ● It permits voters to opt in to a permanent absentee voter list so that they will be sent an absentee ballot every year rather than having to reapply at every election. ● It mandates that sample ballots and voting instructions be written in multiple languages and requires language translation to be available at the polls in areas where the state has determined a certain percentage of citizens speak a language other than English. ● It strengthens the penalties for voter intimidation and deception. A different law in 2023, the Minnesota Restore the Vote Act, restored the voting rights of more than 55,000 citizens who had been convicted of a felony.” Bravo! Unlike the GOP, Dems make voting easier because they don’t fear voters, they embrace them.

This week: SCOTUS allows Virginia to proceed with voter purges. Read all about this and other election law & policy updates in our weekly analysis, The Markup:

Yesterday, Hecker Fink LLP and the State Democracy Defenders Action filed an amicus brief on behalf of 17 former Republican Members of Congress in the U.S. Supreme Court in 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘷. 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘐𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴. The brief urged the Supreme Court to deny an emergency application that would allow Virginia to resume an unlawful, last-minute systematic removal process concerning its voter rolls. The brief supports Respondents’ argument that this effort, initiated exactly 90 days before the 2024 elections, violates the structure and intent of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which several amici supported when Congress passed the legislation in 1993. The NVRA created a so-called “Quiet Period,” which forbids state officials from taking systematic efforts to purge voter rolls within 90 days of an election. Allowing such action to occur poses too high a risk that eligible voters will be improperly removed without sufficient time to restore their registration status. Virginia’s actions flagrantly ignore the protections that Congress incorporated into the NVRA. Federal courts can and should intervene to ensure that eligible voters can cast their ballots, as Congress intended. The brief reflects the firm’s commitment to ensuring free and fair elections, and the maintenance of the rule of law in our democracy. Read the full brief here: https://lnkd.in/emgtbEHa The Hecker Fink team includes Joshua Matz, Jacob Glick, Madeline Verniero, and Jamie Piltch. The State Democracy Defenders Action team includes Gabe Lezra and Diamond Brown, Esq..

There have been 71% more voting cases filed in Wisconsin in 2024 than in all of 2020 - and we expect more. There are also a whole bunch of cases that were filed in 2022 and 2023 that are still making their way through the courts. Here's a summary of what's happened since 2020: We've protected your right to vote via 📮 drop box 📫 mail 🌅 early https://lnkd.in/gjxcwhjV We've protected the rights of 🗺️ every Wisconsinite to have their voice heard through fair maps ♿️ disabled voters to have assistance 🧑🎓 students to vote where they live, study, and work 🫏🐘 voters whose ballots have immaterial mistakes And here's what we're working on right now: 📣 ensuring all voices are heard in the legal process (https://lnkd.in/gpbm9xDc) 🗳️ dismantling barriers to voting (https://lnkd.in/gmmZ_bdZ) 🇺🇸 protecting electronic voting (https://lnkd.in/gRRxj6Pc, https://lnkd.in/gA5f36Jb) 📍safeguarding the ability for voters to return their ballot directly to the polling location on election day (https://lnkd.in/g3wzgKJ7) Contrast that with the very few election law challenges that were pending in the courts as we went into the November 2020 election. In almost every election since Nov. 2020, Wisconsinites have turned out in record numbers to elect leaders to govern in our name and interests. But in the months and years that followed the Nov. 2020 election, extremists have peddled lies about our elections, doubled down on attempts to silence us by trying to erect new barriers to voting, and attempted to block free and fair elections. But we know that for democracy to work for all of us, it must include us all. That's why we stand at the ready to combat attempts to take away our freedom to have a say in the decisions that impact our futures.

𝐓errific 𝐓uesday's 𝐓op 𝐓rending 𝐓ea 𝐓alk (IYKYK 😉) DID YOU KNOW: you are, in fact, NOT registered to vote in Texas if you simply fill out the form online 🤨. Yep! You must PRINT AND MAIL (or hand deliver) your application in order to complete registration. The complaints were so loud that FINALLY the Secretary of State changed the online form to inform individuals that "submit" didn't actually mean "submit." 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒏: ✅KNOW THE RULES FOR REGISTRATION IN YOUR STATE ✅READ THE FINE PRINT ✅CHECK OFTEN ✅PLAN EARLY Look, this is an historic election for a number of reasons. And it's not just about the top of the ticket. It starts local: school boards (PLEASE pay attention to these positions!!!), council positions, mayoral positions, county and state, referendums and amendments. It is critical to vote your ENTIRE ballot (remember, Texas, straight ticket voting is not an option anymore - 🤔). And they are going to be super long this year. All of the House seats (435) are up for re-election and 33 seats in the Senate plus your city, county and state things. My parents taught us: 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 ➡Keep checking your registration ➡Know where and when to vote (early and on election day) ➡Educate yourself on the candidates and their positions ➡Print out your ballot, read it, fill it out and take it with you ➡Know your rights ➡Don't let anyone intimidate you at the polls ➡If you are in line when the polls close, DON'T LEAVE. You must be allowed to cast your ballot ➡Pack your patience and a snack Resources: 🟢Sample ballots, registration and voting rules, voting locations: your Secretary of State and/or State Board of Elections (should be a .gov) 🟢Election protection hotlines: whenweallvote.org 🟢Sample Ballots and election information: Ballotpedia.org 🟢Additional support: League of Women Voters (lwv.org), Vote.gov, usvotefoundation.org #therutledgeperspective #hereforapurpose #leadershipfromtheheart #yourvoiceyourvote #whenweallvote #everyvotecounts #getregistered #itsaseriousmatter #strolltothepolls

Our research fellow, Elena Baird, recently published an insightful brief on the interesting topic of SB 824 and North Carolina's Voter ID Law. The ongoing debate around voter ID laws, particularly North Carolina’s SB 824, raises significant questions about voter access, election integrity, and potential disenfranchisement. Understanding the arguments for and against this law is critical for anyone following voting rights and electoral reforms in the U.S. Curious about how SB 824 could shape future elections and voter participation? Explore the full debate and its potential impact here: https://lnkd.in/gFXrdk3y

CONSTRUCTING THE RIGHT TO VOTE - PDF: https://lnkd.in/gjuwj8jH The right to vote is foundational to our democracy, but it lacks a strong foundation. Voting rights litigants are constantly on their heels, forever responding to stateimposed impediments. In this regard, the right to vote is decidedly reactive: directed and defined by those seeking to limit the right, rather than by those who advocate for it. As a consequence, the right to vote is both deeply fragile and largely impersonal. It is fragile because voters must reckon with flimsy electoral bureaucracies that are susceptible to meltdown from both intentional efforts to limit the franchise and systemic strain. The right to vote is impersonal because, with few exceptions, it is shaped through litigation, rather than comprehensive consideration of voters’ circumstances and needs. To address these weaknesses, this Article champions the idea that a robust right to vote must be constructed. Unlike most other rights, the right to vote relies on governments to build, fund, and administer elections systems. This obligation is not ancillary to the right to vote; it is foundational to it. Drawing from state constitutional law, electoral management theory, federalism scholarship, and rarely examined consent decrees, we argue that a constructed right to vote incorporates three essential features: electoral adequacy (including the right to adequate funding of elections, the right to competent management, and the right to democratic structures), voting rights legislation tailored to individuals’ experiences, and voting rights doctrines that require states to build their elections systems in rights-promoting ways. #votingrights #VRA #elections #AmericanPolitics #ConstitutionalAmendment #ARealRightToVote #CivilWarAmendments