By Andrea Miller, Center for Common Ground
Democracy had some big wins on November 7, 2023! In Virginia, voters chose representatives who will protect the state’s voting laws and keep abortion safe and legal. Ohio voters chose to enshrine abortion access into the state's constitution by an overwhelming 56%. In Maine, 86% of voters voted to prohibit foreign governments from spending money to influence elections, and in Michigan, three cities voted for ranked-choice voting.
Despite these big wins for our democracy, the day was not without voter suppression. In Mississippi, for the state's most competitive governor's race in decades, polling locations ran out of ballots in precincts across Hinds County, including in Jackson - an 83% Black - city.
While we applaud and celebrate the big wins we saw last week, voter suppression still exists though it has moved more underground but not quite under the radar. Voter suppression still effectively disenfranchises millions of voters of color, young people, and poor people. How is it that in the 21st century, America still struggles to make good on its Constitutional promises? And what can we do about it before the 2024 election?
You are invited to join a panel of voting rights activists and legal experts on December 7 at 7 pm ET. You’ll leave this program with a clear sense of the dangerous way voter suppression functions today and the strategic actions we can take. We will be joined by:
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Andrea Miller, Founding Board Member and Executive Director of the Center for Common Ground
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Evan Milligan, Executive Director of Alabama Forward and lead plaintiff in Milligan v. Merrill Supreme Court Case
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Richard Walker, Founder & Executive Director of Bridging the Gap Virginia and returning citizen
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More to be announced!
This event is hosted by the Workers Circle and Center for Common Ground. Unable to attend but interested in taking action against voter suppression as we head into the 2024 elections? Consider starting a Democracy Circle!
Democracy Circles are small groups of people who regularly get together to demand the democracy we need: a truly multi-racial, multi-cultural democracy that represents all of us. Democracy Circles are open to everyone and anyone! Learn more about what a Democracy Circle is and how you can start one by visiting the Workers Circle website.
