Until recently in Alabama, a Jim Crow holdover law explicitly designed to keep black people from voting purged folks with a past felony conviction from the voter rolls.
That law was reformed in 2017. Now, 280,000 Alabamians who had previously been disenfranchised can cast a ballot this November.
Good news, right? There is a catch. The state of Alabama refuses to inform these individuals of the change in the law. That means the majority of people affected may still believe that they cannot vote.
The Campaign Legal Center and Southern Poverty Law Center have come forward to do what the state of Alabama refuses: contact thousands of now-eligible voters to inform them of their right to vote and to help them register in time for the upcoming election.
Even if only a small fraction of the 280,000 people affected cast their ballot, they could be the deciding vote in any number of elections moving forward. And as folks who have personally experienced disenfranchisement and all that comes with it, their voices are critical to building a state—and country—that works for everyone.
Alabama's voter registration deadline is Monday, October 22. The Campaign Legal Center and Southern Poverty Law Center have asked for help in recruiting volunteers to call through the list of newly eligible voters to inform them of their right to vote and explain how they can register.
VOLUNTEER: You can sign up to volunteer by clicking this link and filling in the form. A representative from the campaign will walk you through the volunteer process.
DONATE: If you can't sign up to volunteer, please consider chipping in $3 to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. They are working to pass Amendment 4 — an initiative that would return voting rights to 1.4 million formerly incarcerated people who have re-integrated into society but are currently barred from voting due to a lifetime ban.