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.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Posted in Felon Voting Rights, Civil Rights, Nevada, Iowa, Florida | No Comments »

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

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA –- After tonight’s debate at the Kodak Theater, people (and CNN) kept talking about an Obama-Hillary or Hillary-Obama combo ticket. I don’t know if that is the case… either way the notion will be swamping the airwaves until the 5th thanks to Wolf.

More important, is that we are watching history, and because of that, people of all creeds and colors what to be a part of the action. They want to campaign, they want to caucus, they want to vote, they want a voice, and they want the Country to change its course. (more…)

Posted in Nevada, Media reform, Internet Voting, What is Super Tuesday?, Election Reform, New Hampshire, South Carolina, California, General, Opinions, Iowa, Election 2008, Primary schedule | 1 Comment »

Ken Layne is right. Our Nevada Un-Caucus video report can’t compete with the video he shot inside the Wynn, but the theme is the same: the caucus system ain’t so simple.

If you’re new here, stay tuned by choosing one of the many ways to do so.

Posted in Election Reform, Nevada, Election 2008, WT? in the news | Comments Off

On the way from LV, NV to LA, CA this morning.

Here’s our video report from the caucuses in Vegas if you missed it.

Posted in Election Reform, Nevada, Election 2008, California | Comments Off

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — E-mail from Kirsten Searer at the Nevada Democratic party:

The Nevada Democratic Party released the following turnout information today and will update this information later in the day:

With 84 percent of the precincts reporting we are seeing record turnout with more than 107,000 caucus attendees.

Stay tuned for a look at who was not able to participate and why.

UPDATE: With 98% reporting the number is now 115,800.

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

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — Coming to you from the Wynn hotel, which turned out to be the biggest at-large caucus. Here are the numbers hot of the press from the Nevada Democratic party:

Staff members from the Nevada Democratic Party have counted the number of eligible caucus goers in the nine at-large precinct caucuses on the Las Vegas Strip. The number of delegates that will be elected at today’s at-large caucuses will be:

Wynn: 79 delegates
Bellagio: 62 delegates
Mirage: 69 delegates
Paris: 61 delegates
Luxor: 77 delegates
New York New York: 34 delegates
Rio: 28 delegates
Flamingo: 49 delegates
Caesars Palace: 33 delegates

These delegates have been allotted based on attendance at each individual at-large precinct caucus. The at-large delegates will be awarded today in addition to the 10,446 delegates already allocated to Nevada’s 1,754 neighborhood precincts.

Video to come. Caucus results here.

Wynn photo via Edward B. on flickr.

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

LOS ANGELES, CA — Early morning in California. 5:56AM to be exact. Making last minute moves and then we’re headed out the door and into the car to cover tomorrow’s Nevada caucuses. If you think the Iowa caucuses are tough to participate in, try their Nevada counterparts.

Last week, Wonkette pointed out one of the critiques of holding a caucus on a Saturday morning. Last year, WT? Advisory Board member Tova Andrea Wang reported, that in 2004, less than one percent of eligible general election voters participated in the Nevada caucuses! And let’s not forget the controversy over at-large caucus sites (and Bill Clinton’s feelings about the controversy).

Stay tuned here for the second in our Un-Caucus video series in the days ahead. And follow along with us on Twitter.

Photo by acmelucky777 via flickr.

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