Advocating for State Voter Registration Forms to Comply with the NVRA
At a Glance
CLC sent letters to state officials across the country informing them that their voter registration forms were not up-to-date and did not accurately explain voter eligibility.
What is the NVRA and where are states falling short?
The purpose of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) is to ease the voter registration process, a goal as relevant today as when it passed in 1993. The NVRA requires states to inform residents of voter eligibility requirements and make sure their forms are up to date.
State compliance with this important law enhances participation in our democracy. It is the responsibility of each state to inform the Election Assistance Commission about changes in the law so the federal instructions can be updated. However, the information available to people with past convictions to determine their eligibility in some states are virtually nonexistent. In other states, the information on registration forms and other resources are simply wrong.
We cannot afford to have a voter registration system that fails to inform every eligible American of her right to vote.
The Hatch Act is a federal law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in certain partisan political activities. The purpose of the Hatch Act is to keep partisan politics independent from the administration of federal programs, and to ensure that individuals do not use their entrusted authority to affect the political process.
The law serves as an important cornerstone of ethical public service, and CLC has flagged potential Hatch Act violations numerous times to alert government agencies of potential misconduct and call on the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to investigate. Violations of the Hatch Act can result in disciplinary action such as reprimand, suspension, demotion or dismissal.
CLC’s Recent Work on the Hatch Act
In March 2018, in response to a complaint filed by CLC, OSC determined that White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway acted improperly when she advocated against an Alabama Senate candidate on TV. Conway had advocated against that candidate from the White House grounds, while identified on camera by her official title, not once but on two separate occasions. OSC found she violated the Hatch Act on both occasions and referred the matter to President Donald Trump for disciplinary action. CLC had filed the November 2017 complaint after Conway appeared on Fox & Friends to advocate against a candidate for public office using her official government title while standing in front of the White House. This was not Conway’s first run-in with ethics-related legal provisions.
Nor was it CLC’s first attempt to hold her accountable for living up to the high standards expected of senior White House officials.
CLC took action because the American people should be able to trust those wielding governmental power to live up to high ethical standards. Public service is a public trust. When Conway misused her position, she broke that trust.
CLC has used these and other instances of government malfeasance as opportunities to educate the public about the Hatch Act and other ethics laws, with the goal of ensuring that government resources and authority are being used properly.
In our elections, every voice must be heard, and every vote must count. Voting should be accessible for all citizens, and our laws should promote participation in our democracy and instill trust in our elections.
Intro
CLC seeks to protect and expand access to voting and instill trust in our elections.
CLC fights in court anti-voter laws that target Black voters, voters of color, and voters with disabilities. CLC advocates to restore voting rights for Americans with past felony convictions, and advocates for state and federal policies that improve and protect in-person voting access and voter registration.
CLC also builds confidence in our election processes at the state and federal levels, including updating the Electoral Count Act to strengthen the guardrails surrounding the Electoral College process. CLC supports policies to bolster protections and streamline the process for the election workers and poll workers who keep our elections safe and secure.
In a victory for North Carolina voters, thousands of voters will be able to make their voices heard and not have their ballots wrongly discarded for the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court race between incumbent Justice Allison Riggs and Judge Jefferson Griffin. As a result, Riggs will retain her seat on the state high court.
Over a decade after its passage, the STOCK Act has not lived up to its promise of preventing the appearance of corruption and has fallen short of ensuring the public that Congress is prioritizing the needs of everyday Americans over their personal wealth.
We need stronger limitations on congressional stock trading to bring better transparency to our government and increase public trust in our elected officials.
Voting is an essential American freedom, but an executive order by President Trump is illegally and unconstitutionally threatening that freedom for millions of Americans.
We sued to block this unlawful presidential overreach.
In our elections, every voice should be heard, and every vote should count equally. Elections should be determined by voters, but when politicians rig our voting maps, they can pick their own voters instead of voters picking their politicians.
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CLC fights for fair voting maps and systems that give every voter an equal opportunity to participate in the political process.
CLC defends fair maps in court and champions fair redistricting practices like citizen-led independent redistricting commissions and an end to partisan gerrymandering because voters should be the ones to choose their politicians, not the other way around. CLC also fights maps that dilute Black and brown voting power and advocates for strong legal protections for Black, Asian, Native and Latino or Hispanic voters so every vote counts equally, and every voice is heard.
In a victory for North Carolina voters, thousands of voters will be able to make their voices heard and not have their ballots wrongly discarded for the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court race between incumbent Justice Allison Riggs and Judge Jefferson Griffin. As a result, Riggs will retain her seat on the state high court.
Over a decade after its passage, the STOCK Act has not lived up to its promise of preventing the appearance of corruption and has fallen short of ensuring the public that Congress is prioritizing the needs of everyday Americans over their personal wealth.
We need stronger limitations on congressional stock trading to bring better transparency to our government and increase public trust in our elected officials.
Federal, state and local governments have a responsibility to enact and enforce clear ethical guidelines and laws. Only then can public officials adequately navigate potential conflicts and be held accountable when they break the public’s trust.
Intro
CLC works to enforce and reform our ethics laws at all levels of government to ensure that our democracy is trustworthy, accountable and responsive.
CLC provides support and guidance to state and local ethics commissions through research and legal advice, regularly highlighting and promoting successful initiatives so they can be replicated in other municipalities. The team also takes legal action to hold officeholders accountable and regularly engages with the public and civic leaders to ensure that potential conflicts of interest and their appearance are avoided, clear ethical guidelines are established and followed and public confidence in government is well earned.
In a victory for North Carolina voters, thousands of voters will be able to make their voices heard and not have their ballots wrongly discarded for the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court race between incumbent Justice Allison Riggs and Judge Jefferson Griffin. As a result, Riggs will retain her seat on the state high court.
Over a decade after its passage, the STOCK Act has not lived up to its promise of preventing the appearance of corruption and has fallen short of ensuring the public that Congress is prioritizing the needs of everyday Americans over their personal wealth.
We need stronger limitations on congressional stock trading to bring better transparency to our government and increase public trust in our elected officials.
