Pay Attention to the Vote

Protecting the right to vote should be at the top of the progressives' agenda, but too often groups working in this field aren't getting the support from the broader progressive community that they need, writes Art Levine.

Why is this important?

"States that are hostile to voting rights have -- intentionally or unintentionally -- created laws or regulations that prevent people from registering, staying on the rolls, or casting a ballot that counts," observes Michael Slater, the election administration specialist for Project Vote, a leading voter registration and voting rights group. And with roughly a quarter of the country's election districts having adopted new voting equipment in the past two years alone, there's a growing prospect that ill-informed election officials, balky machines and restrictive new voting rules could produce a "perfect storm" of fiascos in states such as Ohio, Florida, Arizona and others that have a legacy of voting rights restrictions or chaotic elections.

His conclusion:

Common Cause, People for the American Way and the Democratic National Committee's Voter Rights Institute are all working to file lawsuits and educate voters about their rights, but it's not at all clear that will be enough to offer practical help to people who should have the right to vote, but are being thwarted by the GOP's vote-suppressing intiatives. It's time for the rest of us to pitch to ensure that there's a fair vote in November -- and, if the opinion polls are right, Democratic victories in Congress.