It looks like President Obama will address election reform during the State Of The Union tomorrow night. Michelle Obama has invited this 102-year-old North Miami woman who had to wait in line for three hours to vote.
Photo via Miami Herald.
If you are African American or Latino, you waited in line to vote longer than anyone else. Today Democrats said in the New York Times they expect President Obama to address election reform in the State of the Union next week.
Evidence shows that early voting increases as Election Day nears — the weekend before Election Day has particularly high turnout. Mandating the availability of weekend voting, as well as both standard business and non-business hours during the week, frees citizens from making a choice between work and voting.
The Brennan Center’s new report, How To Fix Long Lines, on how important weekend voting is to increasing American voter turnout and making sure all Americans have a chance to vote.
How YOU can help: Sign our petition to Congress and the President to support the Weekend Voting Act, that would move Election Day to the weekend so everyone can vote.
It’s time to turn words into actions. Reblog to show your support for President Obama’s call to fix America’s broken voting system.
Live Tweeting Election Reform
Our Tom Rossmeissl was at the Brennan Center’s conference on election reform yesterday in Washington D.C. at the National Press Club, and live-tweeted the affair.
At “Creating a Modern Voting System” event w/ @brennancenter at the @pressclubdc — time to upgrade our voting system twitter.com/WhyTuesday/sta…
— Why Tuesday? (@WhyTuesday) January 24, 2013
Alvin Jaeger, #nd SoS, just spoke. Only state with no voter reg.. Asks congress not to force them to change - it’s “working pretty well”
— Why Tuesday? (@WhyTuesday) January 24, 2013
#MN has battled in the courts, legislature, &ballot to preserve elec day registration. Also using #or as model in implementing vote by mail
— Why Tuesday? (@WhyTuesday) January 24, 2013
Beverly Hudnut from Campaign Legal Center: lots of common ground from both parties about problems & need to solve them. Devil in the details
— Why Tuesday? (@WhyTuesday) January 24, 2013
. @brennancenter: need congressional action & min standards for voter reg. Must be portable & ability to update reg info online or at polls
— Why Tuesday? (@WhyTuesday) January 24, 2013
. @brennancenter : modernizing registration can be a net cost benefit for states. Just need startup costs (that get recouped quickly)
— Why Tuesday? (@WhyTuesday) January 24, 2013
#nd’s jaeger: troubling when legislators pursue reform w/o actually working the polls or at least talking to the election officials.
— Why Tuesday? (@WhyTuesday) January 24, 2013
On this day in 1845, Congress set the Tuesday after the first Monday in November as Election Day. Why? Absolutely no good reason whatsoever.
Watch this TED Talk for a slightly longer answer, then sign our petition asking President Obama to move Election Day to the weekend so everyone has equal access to the ballot box.
H/T @HuffPostPol.
Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote.
President Obama, calling for fixing America’s terribly broken voting system, during his inaugural address. Music to my ears. (via jacobsoboroff)
So, President Obama, as you place your hand upon the bibles of both Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr., I pray that you will be inspired by the courage and conviction of these two great men who paid the ultimate price for the right to vote. I pray that you will listen carefully to the words of Lyndon B. Johnson which still echo throughout the Capitol, and be inspired by that courageous Southerner who sacrificed his political life for the sake of a greater good. I pray that you will feel the strength of Martin’s voice as he stood at the Lincoln Memorial urging our nation to make good on a 100 year old “unfulfilled promise.
Our co-founder, Ambassador Andrew Young, on the eve of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the second inauguration of Barack Obama.
