Image
Voting Rights
Democracy works best when all citizens can vote without barriers.
Voting Rights
Democracy works best when all citizens can vote without barriers.
Voting should be accessible for all citizens, no matter where they live, the color of their skin or how much money they make.
To make every vote count, we need a system that is free and fair to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard, including those who have served their time and paid their debt to society.
CLC believes that state and federal policies should uniformly protect the right to vote and promote voter participation across the United States. Through litigation, policy analysis, state-based advocacy and public education, CLC seeks to protect the right to vote and expand access to the ballot.
[Campaign Legal Center] has been leading a nationwide campaign to restore voting rights to the formerly incarcerated.
NBC News
The Latest on Voting Rights
November 6, 2019
Every Eligible Voter Should Have Access to the Ballot
Restore Your Vote: CLC Helps People With Past Convictions Know their Rights
Most states restore the right to vote to people after they complete their sentences. In fact, up to 17 million Americans with past convictions can vote right now - they just don't know it because felony disenfranchisement laws in every state can be confusing. CLC launched a website, RestoreYourVote.org and on-the-ground campaign to help people with past convictions in all 50 states know their rights.
CLC Protects Texas Voters
Texas instituted a new voter purge program targeting newly naturalized citizens. This was a discriminatory and unconstitutional burden on the right to vote, violating the 1st and 14th Amendments. On behalf of our clients, naturalized Texan Julie Hilberg and the organization LULAC, CLC successfully sued to block the law.
CLC Launches the Voting Rights Institute
CLC joined with American Constitution Society and Georgetown University Law Center to create the Voting Rights Institute in 2014. The VRI works to prepare the next generation of attorneys, experts and activists to preserve our democracy and protect the ability of all Americans to vote
CLC Wins a Victory for Voters in Arizona
CLC challenged the state's extremely complicated registration process in federal court and reached a settlement agreement that eases Arizona's registration process, so that tens of thousands of voter registrations in Arizona would not be rejected because of unnecessary bureaucracy.
Voting Rights Cases and Actions
About 750,000 people are incarcerated in jails across the United States every day, most of whom retain their right to vote. Casting a ballot, however, can be difficult or impossible for these eligible voters simply because they are incarcerated. CLC uses advocacy and litigation to ensure eligible voters in jails have the ballot access they need to exercise their right to vote.
Updated
Status
Active
New York Immigration Coalition and partners are suing the Rensselaer County Board of Elections and several Rensselaer County officials over the County’s plan to improperly divulge voter registration information gathered by the Rensselaer County DMV to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in violation of both New York and federal law.
Status
Active
In 2018, Florida voters restored the right to vote to individuals with felony convictions. The legislature then enacted a law conditioning rights restoration on payment of restitution, fines, and fees. CLC represents Floridians Bonnie Raysor, Diane Sherrill and Lee Hoffman in challenging the constitutionality of the law.
Updated
Status
Active
Help CLC Protect Voting Rights Nationwide