Last week we brought you the news that over 100,000 ex-felons in Florida are getting their voting rights back.

Today the New York Times says those reforms are “well short of what’s needed — a complete overhaul of a wildly illogical system.” The interconnections of voting rights and access to jobs is part of the problem, so says the Times.

In most states, inmates win back their voting rights as soon as they are released from prison or when they complete parole or probation. One big reason that does not happen in Florida is that state law requires felons to first make restitution to their victims. And until their voting rights are restored, former prisoners are barred from scores of state-regulated occupations for which the restoration of voting rights is listed as a condition of employment.

Quite apart from the fact that it is undemocratic to bar people from the voting booth because they owe money, the system is transparently counterproductive since it prevents people from landing the jobs they will need to make restitution. Denying ex-offenders a chance to make an honest living is a sure way to drive them back to jail.

The system also requires extensive and unnecessary background checks before voting rights can be restored for some applicants, making it hard to reduce the backlog. Florida could clear up that backlog in a hurry, treat all ex-offenders fairly and enhance democracy by automatically restoring voting rights to inmates who have completed their sentences.

When we visited both the Iowa and Nevada caucuses earlier this year to document the “Un-Caucuses” — who isn’t able to participate in the caucus process and why that is — we met in both states ex-felons who are excluded from the voter rolls. We’ll continue to monitor how this issue is addressed around the country.

Posted in Civil Rights, Felon Voting Rights, Florida, Iowa, Nevada | Comments Off

That’s the quote that ends today’s New York Times article about 115,000 ex-felons in Florida getting their voting rights back.

If you listen to NPR’s coverage, you’ll learn that in all but three states felons get their voting rights back after their sentences are completed. You’ll also find out how the new rules of re-enfranchisement work in Florida.

Posted in Civil Rights, Florida | Comments Off

HBO Films’ RECOUNT debuts tonight. Last week I was in Washington, D.C. and stopped by National Public Radio to tape a simultaneous vlog and radio interview with Ari Shapiro, this week’s host of Weekend Edition Sunday. We taked about how the film — like our work at Why Tuesday? — is raising questions about the state of America’s voting system.

(more…)

Posted in Bob Balaban, Denis Leary, Ed Begley Jr., Election 2000, Election Reform, Florida, HBO, John Hurt, Kevin Spacey, Laura Dern, Movie, Recount, Tom Wilkinson | Comments Off

Looks like the game of primary election musical chairs may have ended, and now Michigan is left standing. Florida appears to be is in the same boat too, but — what timing! — today Florida Senator Bill Nelson, declaring “the system is broken,” proposed a package of national election reforms including regional primaries, the end of the Electoral College, and a proposal to examine secure internet voting.

The Michigan news came across my desk yesterday from the Detroit News (via Time):

DETROIT — A federal judge on Wednesday ruled Michigan’s presidential primary law unconstitutional and blocked the state from giving voter lists from the Jan. 15 election to the state’s major political parties.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds agreed with the American Civil Liberties Union, arguing on behalf of several small political parties, that the law’s provision giving the list of voters’ partisan preference only to the Democratic and Republican parties violated the rights of other parties.

What is wrong with our election system that we can’t count votes of folks who have gone to the polls to cast ballots? Entire states of citizens wanting their voices to be heard? Parties can’t agree with states, and states can’t agree with parties. Who loses? The people. What can we do about it? (more…)

Posted in Election 2008, Election Reform, Florida, Michigan, Primary schedule | Comments Off

Of all the wild scenarios spun out for the 2008 presidential campaign, perhaps the least likely was the one we face: a Republican contest that was effectively over the morning after Super Tuesday, and a Democratic cage match that could go on and on and on — all the way to a tumultuous and unpredictable convention in August.

I, for instance, offered an unconventional convention scenario back in July, noting that the uniquely early start (called “front loading”) of the primary process, combined with the compressed schedule, could provide a formula for an extended, pitched battle, with no candidate getting close to a majority after Super Tuesday. But I made it clear that this was more likely to happen on the Republican side, where many plausible candidates were running against one another and none seemed to be getting more than tepid support.

The Democrats, on the other hand, already had a front-running candidate, highly regarded by most Democratic partisans, and an enthusiastic electorate that wanted to pick a nominee and get on with the big battle — ending the Bush era once and for all. (more…)

Posted in Convention, Election 2008, Election Reform, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Primary schedule, Super Delegate, Texas | Comments Off

PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA — With the onset of Super Tuesday, the Press has started reporting on Barack Obama’s ability to mobilize new, youth and Independent voters, the other candidates’ advantages among established, older voters, and Hillary Clinton’s advantage among Hispanic and female voters. This week’s issue of TIME Magazine reports that Obama’s campaign tactics are more effective in states with forward-thinking election law. Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada have Same-Day Registration. Florida has early voting, but the DNC has stripped the Sunshine State’s democrats of their delegates, Republicans were able to keep half of theirs. (more…)

Posted in Absentee ballots, California, Colorado, Early voting, Election 2008, Election Day registration, Election Reform, Election administration, Florida, General, Iowa, Legislation, National Holiday, Nevada, New Hampshire, Opinions, Primary schedule, What is Super Tuesday? | Comments Off

The AP reports turnout in Florida was around 30 percent, nearly 30 percent less than the all-time record turnout in Florida set in 1972. That said, as we reported in our latest video, no delegates are being seated from Florida for the Democrats, and turnout was still up over recent years. Mitch Stay writes:

Turnout was estimated at 30 percent, with about 3 million voters casting ballots — 1.4 million Democrats and 1.6 million Republicans. That was well up from the approximately 20 percent who cast ballots in the 2000 and 2004 presidential primaries, which was held after the nominees were decided, and the 2006 gubernatorial primary.

Click here for the full article.

Posted in Election 2008, Election Reform, Florida | Comments Off