The stories are now edging their way into the mainstream media. The issues are covered at liberal blogs and issue-specific organizations.
Voting Rights are under attack in the worst way since 1965.
Voter ID laws are a problem in dozens of states.
Hours of early voting is an ongoing battle.
Voter roll purging is a multi-state tactic.
Restoration of voting rights is delayed and denied.
Additionally, the existence of the Electoral College, and the lack of fair re-districting further dilute the power of our individual and collective votes.
The biggest questions in my mind are "Who is in charge of fixing this?" "Is it the Department of Justice, the Obama Campaign, the ACLU, or someone else?" and "What are they doing?"
Voting seems as All-American as apple pie, moms, and pickups trucks. It is one of the ways we can be equal. However, we have no constitutional rights to vote, and voting is legislated nationally and by states, and decided in courts, then administered in counties all over the country. 99 counties in Iowa, 88 counties in Ohio, and 29 counties in Utah.
I know the wingnuts like to use "American Exceptionalism" and I'm not always sure what that means to them. To me, it means the things that make us different from Europe, where the originally small group of national founders came from. These are things we may have in common with other immigrant nations.
We are citizens of the USA just by being born here. Nothing to do with where our parents were born or held citizenship. We have a Declaration of Independence and a Constitution giving us certain rights and many privileges from our government (not nature, and not anyone's god). Voting is the most basic right we have for input into our governing bodies.
Reducing the opportunities to vote seems so wrong to me. Painfully backward, something that lesser countries might do. Ones with really bad governments or dictators or something.
The right to vote unites us as citizens, regardless of our individual voting choices.
Voting is a right. Voting is not a privilege. Voting rights have consistently been expanded through our nation's history. Until now.
There are 85 days under the November 6, 2012 elections.
Matt Yglesias recommends a constitutional amendment.
The Brennan Center for Justice has comprehensive information.
There are sites available for checking individual registration and voting requirements.
I'm looking for answers - it seems this is a national problem that may need a national solution, and may need it fast.
Does anyone agree? Does anyone know this issue, and what is being done to fight back against encroaching on our rights? This stuff gives me nightmares.