92-year-old black woman sues just hours after North Carolina gov. signs voter ID law

By David Edwards/Raw Story

Just hours after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) signed a sweeping voter ID measure into law, a 92-year-old African-American woman has sued the state claiming that her constitutional rights had been violated.

At a bill signing with no formal ceremony on Monday, McCrory quietly signed the Republican bill that will require a voters to present a government-issued ID, cuts early voting days, stops same-day registration, ends “straight ticket” party voting, makes it harder for students to vote and gives poll watchers new powers for challenging voters.

The first lawsuit, filed by the NAACP, says that 92-year-old Rosanell Eaton will be disenfranchised after voting for 70 years.

Mrs. Eaton, who was born at home, has a current North Carolina driver’s license, but the name on her certified birth certificate does not match the name on her driver’s license or the name on her voter registration card,” the lawsuit notes. “Mrs. Eaton will incur substantial time and expense to correct her identification documents to match her voter registration record in order to meet the new requirements.”

In a statement on Monday, Advancement Project Director Penda Hair pointed out that North Carolina was the first state to sign a “discriminatory voting law” since the Supreme Court struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act.

“With the stroke of his pen, Gov. McCrory has transformed North Carolina from a state with one of the nation’s most progressive voting systems, where we saw some of the highest voter turnout rates of the last two presidential elections, into a state with the most draconian policies we’ve seen in decades, policies that harken back to the days of Jim Crow,” Hair explained.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation, and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice filed a second lawsuit targeting provisions that suppress early voting, voter registration and “out-of-precinct” voting.

In a video posted to YouTube on Monday, McCrory argued that he had enacted “common-sense reforms.”

“Many of those from the extreme left who have been criticizing photo ID are using scare tactics,” McCory asserted. “They are more interested in divisive politics than ensuring that no one’s vote is disenfranchised by a fraudulent ballot.”

Rosanell Eaton was expected to appear at a press conference on Tuesday with state NAACP President Rev. William Barber and other plaintiffs.

Watch this video from WRAL, broadcast Aug. 13, 2013.

Watch this video from Gov. Pat McCrory, broadcast Aug. 12, 2013.

Watch this video from Rev. William Barber, broadcast July 16, 2013.

 

 by Taboola

North Carolina Police Arrest Black Preachers For Praying In Protest Of Extreme GOP Agenda

by Stephen D. Foster Jr. /Addicting Info

Apparently it’s now against the law in North Carolina to pray in protest of the un-Christian agenda of the Republican Party. Seventeen NAACP activists, including eight clergymen, were arrested on Monday for praying in protest of the recent GOP agenda that has taken the state by storm in recent weeks.

As part of their extreme agenda, the North Carolina GOP has tried to pass a law that would declare a state religion in direct violation of the Constitution. After that effort failed miserably, North Carolina Republicans introduced a bill to make divorce harder and would force domestic violence victims to wait two years and attend counseling sessions with her abuser. But the GOP didn’t stop there, one Republican actually shut down a radio show in violation of free speech because the show was critical of the GOP agenda.

Then Republicans declared war on welfare recipients with a bill that would force them to have mandatory background checks before they could receive aid. This arises at the same time these very Republicans oppose universal background checks that would prevent convicted felons and terrorists of getting guns. And to top it all off, the North Carolina GOP is pursuing a voter suppression effort in the state to limit the impact of African-Americans, women, and young people in elections.

All of these actions and more inspired the NAACP members to protest peacefully at the North Carolina capitol on Monday. NC-NAACP President Reverend William Barber said in a statement that:

“The decision to engage in civil disobedience is not one we take lightly. But the extremists are acting like the George Wallaces of the 21st century. They are pursuing a cruel, unusual and unconstitutional agenda reminiscent of the Old South. What happens in North Carolina does not stay in North Carolina. It has national implications. North Carolina is ground zero in a national struggle to defend democracy for all. This much is clear: the Republican-led legislature is standing in the way of progress and passing laws that violate fundamental constitutional rights. As leaders of moral conscience, we must draw the line somewhere. That is what this direct action is all about.”

An open letter on the NC-NAACP website went even further, declaring that “These policies are similar to those by repressive regimes in other countries, who see their own citizens as part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. If we are truly moral leaders, we must expose with our words and deeds these shameful attacks on the poor and working people of North Carolina.”

WRAL TV reported on the protest leading to the arrests. Here’s the video:

The hypocrisy here is that if these praying protesters were gun-toting Tea Party members of the Christian Right, they would not have been arrested at all. And if they had been, Republicans would be screaming bloody murder about religious freedom being attacked. But since these clergymen were black members of the liberal leaning NAACP, Republicans have no problem with police dragging them away in cuffs. It is often said that history repeats itself. And it couldn’t be any more true in the South today. Conservatives are once again waging war against civil rights, and African-American leaders are once again having to stand up to fight for those rights. This time, however, the GOP isn’t just attacking African-American’s civil rights, they’re assaulting everyone’s civil rights except their own. If you’re a conservative white male, your rights are protected, but if you’re not, your rights are threatened. And that’s not just in North Carolina, it’s in every red state in America and the only way to stop it is if the people overwhelmingly oppose Republicans until they are forced to relent or suffer the consequences at the voting booth. That is if Republicans haven’t outlawed voting by 2014.

Conservatives Panic Over ‘U.N.-Affiliated’ Election Monitors

By Hayes Brown/Think Progress
Conservative blogs and news media are all buzzing about a team of international election monitors coming to observe the presidential elections in November. The observers are arriving at the invitation of the State Department and the behest of anumber of civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, ACLU, and others.

The latter groups’ call for an international team to keep an eye on the U.S. elections focuses particularly on states that have enacted strict voter I.D. laws and other curtailing of voting rights. An NAACP delegation visited the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland in September to bring attention to the issue. The NAACP’s move, and the idea of foreign presence in the U.S. to observe elections, has infuriated many on the right.

The response at the state-level is varying. Alabama Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard is, in protest of the monitors’ presence preparing legislation to have all poll watchers in Alabama hold U.S. citizenship. “It’s bad enough that Alabama remains trapped under the provisions of the Voting Rights Act,” Hubbard said “So we certainly don’t need anyone from the United Nations coming into our state and meddling in our elections, as well.”

Catherine Engelbrecht of True the Vote appeared on Fox News on Monday claiming that the monitors’ presence was actually intended to prevent and discourage U.S. voters from exercising their rights. Fox’s Megyn Kelly readily agreed, stressing the left-leaning nature of the civil rights groups, seemingly unaware of the State Department’s role in inviting the monitors. It’s worth mentioning that True the Vote, itself a Tea Party group voter suppression effort, is currently under investigation for possible criminal conspiracy. Watch the full interview here:

What none of these commentators mention is that this is neither an unprecedented event nor particularly worrisome. The Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) is a group of over fifty countries in North America, Europe, and Central Asia committed to security and strengthening democracy. Counter to many of the exclamatory statements by the right-wing, the OSCE is not a part of the United Nations, but instead is loosely affiliated with the global organization.

According to the 1990 Copenhagen Document, which the U.S. has signed, all member states of the OSCE are called upon to accept monitors to observe their elections. As a founding member, the U.S. has taken part in dozens of observer missions over the years. In allowing observers into the country, the United States is preventing setting a precedent for other, less democratic states, to ban these monitors.

Also, counter to conservatives, the monitors have no mandate to interfere in the elections. In a press release, the OSCE laid out precisely what the mission of the observers actually is:

Observers from 30 countries have been monitoring campaign finance activity and legal changes related to early voting and whether voters must present identification at polling stations. Observers will receive a full set of political and election-related briefings in Washington prior to fanning out across several states to observe election day activity.

“We are not coming to judge a result but to report about the process,” [Joao Soares, (MP, Portugal) who has been appointed to lead the observation mission,] said. “In a country so well known for its diverse citizenry, we will observe how inclusive the election process is in line with the country’s own laws and international election commitments.”

In fact, the OSCE, unknown to many of those panicking today, has had monitors present to observe every national U.S. election for the past decade. Reports have been issued by monitors for the midterm elections in 2002, 2006, and 2010, as well as the Presidential elections of 2004and 2008. In none of those instances did the presence of monitors affect the outcome or votes cast.

Heavily Edited Romney Video Targets Black Voters, Shows NAACP Audience Applauding

By Aviva Shen/Think Progress

Mitt Romney’s speech at the NAACP was defined in the media by the resounding chorus of boos he elicited from the crowd. Campaign staffers had a different interpretation, insisting that he received “thunderous applause over and over again.”

Reflecting this idea, the campaign’s new video targeting African American voters, “We Need Mitt Romney,” rewrites history by splicing together Romney’s speech with shots of a couple audience members nodding as if in agreement. While Romney received a polite standing ovation when he was done speaking, the video has been edited to make it seem like the audience rose to their feet to applaud him mid-speech.

In reality, Romney was booed multiple times, especially when he promised to repeal Obamacare. 95 percent of black voters went to President Obama in 2008 and it is highly unlikely Romney will be able to capture the historically progressive demographic. In fact, an NAACP official told MSNBC that the Romney campaign brought their own African American supporters to fill in the July 11 event. Romney himself admitted that he expected to be booed.

The campaign video also features four African Americans speaking to the camera. One woman declares: “We need in our next president someone who will be honest, open and transparent.”

Watch it:

Limbaugh: "Express Reason" For NAACP's Existence Is To "Make Sure That Blacks Don't Vote Republican"

Biden fires back at Romney at NAACP

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

NAACP official: Romney ‘rigged crowd’ by having blacks ‘flown in’

By David Edwards/Raw Story

The director to the NAACP’s Washington Bureau revealed on Thursday that GOP hopeful Mitt Romney had conservative African Americans “flown in” to the 103rd convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to make it appear that he had more support than he really did.

During an interview with Fox News host Neil Cavuto, Romney said that he had met with a “number of African American leaders” after his NAACP speech and they told him “a lot of folks” were disappointed in President Barack Obama.

On Wednesday night, MSNBC host Ed Schultz asked NAACP Washington Bureau Director Hilary Shelton which “African American leaders” Romney was referring to.

“The campaign actually gave me a list of African American VIPs that they brought in to the NAACP meeting,” Shelton explained. “So, I’m sure those are the one they set down with because, quite frankly, none of the rank-and-file NAACPers met with him.”

“He’s talking about African American Republican politicians that were actually brought in — flown in — to the NAACP convention in Houston, Texas to be there for the [candidate] alone,” he added.

“That means that Mitt Romney rigged the crowd to support him there so he could go on TV and say, ‘You know, actually I got a lot of support among African American leaders,’” Schultz noted.

“Apparently, that’s what the case is,” Shelton agreed. “They are bringing people in that they know will support his agenda from other places that aren’t active with the NAACP. These are people that were actually brought in to provide the cheering for him so there will be some support for him along those lines.”

While Romney did receive some sparse cheers and applause during the speech, the loudest reaction came when the crowd booed him for vowing to repeal “Obamacare.”

Watch this video from MSNBC’s The Ed Show, broadcast July 11, 2012

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Roland Martin accuses Romney of using ‘coded language’

By Eric W. Dolan/Raw Story

CNN contributor Roland Martin on Thursday accused Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney of using “coded language” when talking about African Americans.

Romney on Wednesday said those at the NAACP convention who booed him should “vote for the other guy” if they wanted government handouts.

“When I mentioned I am going to get rid of Obamacare, they weren’t happy,” the Republican candidate said. “That’s OK. I want people to know what I stand for. If I don’t stand for what they want, go vote for somebody else. But I hope people understand this, your friends who like Obamacare, you remind them of this. If they want more stuff from the government, tell them to go vote for the other guy, more free stuff.”

Martin said Romney was using coded language when he used the words “they” and “free.” Republican presidential candidates, such asNewt Gingrich, have received criticism this year for allegedly using subtle and indirect language to perpetuate racial stereotypes.

“We’ve seen that happened before with Republicans,” Martin said.

“I’m sorry, Roland. It is Will, just so I am clear, you’re saying he is using the term ‘they’ and ‘free’ as code for what?” CNN contributor Will Cain later asked.

“What I am saying is when he is they, when talking about ‘they’ and ‘free,’ I am saying that has been coded language that we have heard before,” Martin said.

“Coded for what?” Cain interrupted.

“Excuse me, I am going to make the point, from Republican candidates speaking of either poor people, speaking of African- Americans,” Martin continued. “We can talk about I remember the image of the welfare queen going back to the ’80s, what that looked like. And this morning on the morning show I interviewed Sophia Nelson who was a GOP general counsel, long time Republican and she also said this is one of the problems Republicans do, using certain language speaking of certain groups. That’s what I’m saying.”

Watch video, courtesy of CNN, below:

Romney On NAACP Booers: They’re Freeloaders

By Aviva Shen/Think Progress

Mitt Romney has found a new spin for the resounding chorus of boos he triggered at the NAACP on Wednesday. At a fundraiser in Montana that night, Romney boasted about the boos to a very different crowd, saying: “If they want more stuff from the government, tell them to go vote for the other guy — more free stuff. But don’t forget nothing is really free.”

Given Romney’s fraught history with the organization — Mother Jones reported yesterday on his antagonistic relationship with the Boston NAACP while governor — invoking the “welfare queen” stereotype against NAACP members who support Obamacare is tone deaf, if not a deliberate attempt to stoke conservative resentment against so-called government freeloaders.

The “free stuff” comment is a mantra Romney uses often. Just last month, in a speech to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), Romney scoffed, “Everybody likes free stuff, but there is no free stuff.”

The Rachel Maddow Blog cites several more examples:

A few months ago, for example, the GOP presidential hopeful responded to questions about contraception access by saying, “If you’re looking for free stuff you don’t have to pay for, vote for the other guy.” Soon after, Romney complained that Obama is trying to buy students’ political support by offering them “free stuff.”

There is a pattern to this. If you’re a woman who wants access to preventive care you might not otherwise be able to afford, Romney sees you as wanting “free stuff.” If you’re a young student who can’t afford higher-ed tuition, Romney assumes you expect “free stuff.”

And if you’re an African American supporter of the NAACP who wants your family to have access to affordable health care, Romney suspects you’re just looking for “free stuff.”

Of course, no one will receive free health insurance under Obamacare; the law makes health care more affordable for working and middle class families through tax credits. But everyone pays into the system to ensure that the government does not have to pick up the tab of the uninsured.

Romney advises NAACP to vote Obama if they want more stuff from government

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

NAACP audience not receptive to Romney's plans

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

NAACP Reacts To Mitt Romney: ‘Patronizing,’ ‘Totally Disconnected,’ ‘A Serious Misjudgment’

By Judd Legum and Scott Keyes/Think Progress

HOUSTON, Texas — Mitt Romney addressed the national convention of the NAACP Wednesday morning, the nation’s largest civil rights organization. He was cordially received by the audience, who greeted him with a standing ovation, but the tone changed quickly after the GOP presidential candidate began his remarks.

The crowd booed Romney when he called for the full repeal of Obamacare and audibly laughed when he suggested he would be a better president than Obama for the African-American community. Also notable was what was left unsaid. Romney failed to address voting rights, which is a major theme of this NAACP gathering.

ThinkProgress was on the scene and talked to some NAACP members after Romney’s speech to get their thoughts. James Waters said some of Romney’s comments were “patronizing,” while Joe Brown argued that Romney “made a serious misjudgment relating to the health care reform.” Allytra Perryman went even further: “I don’t think he has any way to even remotely relate to the everyday citizen, let alone African-American citizens.”

Watch it:

UPDATE

The NAACP has released the following statement: “This morning Governor Romney laid out his policy agenda for this nation. Unfortunately, much of his agenda is at odds with what the NAACP stands for – whether the issue is equal access to affordable health care, reforming our education system or the path forward on marriage equality. We appreciate that he was courageous and took the opportunity to speak with us directly.”

Protestors call on ALEC to disavow ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws after Trayvon Martin’s murder

By Anna John/Raw Story

Just before noon on a sunny D.C. day, close to 100 students, office workers and activists quietly converged outside a nondescript office building for a rally to shine light on the role that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) played in pushing legislatures to pass “Stand Your Ground” or “Shoot First” laws around the country — laws which many blame for the Sanford police force’s unwillingness to charge Trayvon Martin’s acknowledged killer, George Zimmerman.

Led by a broad coalition of progressive groups — including the NAACP, the Urban League, Color of Change, Common Cause, People for the American Way and MoveOn.org — some wore hooded sweatshirts over or under their business attire. Many carried signs emblazoned with slogans like “Don’t shoot me, I’m innocent”, “Don’t shoot me, I’m unarmed” and “Don’t shoot me, I’m a Mom”. Some of the protestors also held aloft bags of Skittles, the candy that Martin purchased just before being accosted by Zimmerman.

“This story is a family tragedy enabled by laws that protect people who kill others and then hide behind heinous ‘Shoot First’ legislation as pushed by ALEC and the National Rifle Association,” said Garlin Gilchrist II, the National Campaign Director of MoveOn.Org and one of the speakers at today’s rally. “Such laws make racial profiling a pretext for homicide and they enshrine injustice at a policy level. There are ‘Shoot First’ laws in more than 20 states. Trayvon Martin’s case… the pain it is causing the entire country is a call to action to fight for a just society.

While there have been several notable protests since Zimmerman shot Martin on February 26, 2012, many of those movements channeled outrage over the fact that Zimmerman had yet to be arrested, focusing on getting the local police to act against the self-appointed neighborhood watchman. Today’s rally sought to go further by addressing the organization that drafts laws like the one Zimmerman used to defend his actions while educating the public about the connections between politically conservative corporations and lobbying groups and the state legislators who ALEC encouraged to promulgate the laws.

“Our organizations are sending a clear message to ALEC and the corporations that sponsor it that you cannot come for black money by day and try to take away our votes and our lives by night,” declared Color of Change’s Executive Director Rashad Robinson, who, like each of the rally’s speakers, stood upon a makeshift stage before the hooded, sign-carrying protesters.

Doug Clopp, the Deputy Director for Programs at Common Cause, said the day was about seeking justice and accountability. Common Cause is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy group founded to help citizens hold their elected officials accountable to the public interest.

“America is waking up,” he said. “There are corporations behind the elected members of ALEC who pass ‘Stand Your Ground’ legislation. Where is Coca-Cola and Kraft when this is happening? I believe corporate accountability is coming. One-third of state legislators are members of ALEC — so who are they representing? The men and women who voted for them or the corporations who put profit above public interests? We need to hold both politicians and the corporations who are behind them accountable when they act in opposition to the values we hold dear in a democracy.”

As activists addressed the rally, they were periodically greeted with chants of “No justice, no peace!” from the crowd, which included Howard University student Natasha Steadman, originally from Brooklyn.

“The voices of young people need to be heard,” Steadman said. “I’m here in support of Trayvon Martin, but it’s also bigger than that case now. It’s time for my generation to stand up and speak out about the injustice that affects us as black youth.”

The Florida version of the “Stand Your Ground” law, which exists in some form in 23 other states, holds that a person is justified in using deadly force if they reasonably believe that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death, bodily harm or the commission of a forcible felony without a duty to retreat. “Stand Your Ground” laws are controversial, in part, because they can be employed as an affirmative defense and used to gain immunity from criminal charges and civil suits.

ALEC, which is funded by prominent corporations, has worked closely with the National Rifle Association (NRA) to promote such legislation through its members, who are conservative lawmakers.

Immediately after the rally, a coalition of leaders including Marge Baker and Diallo Brooks from People For the American Way, Hillary Shelton of the NAACP, MoveOn’s Gilchrist and Lisa Graves of PR Watch attempted to hand-deliver a letter with their demands to ALEC but were thwarted by a locked door. Brooks finally slipped the letter under the door before the group retreated.

“How typical that the doors were closed,” Shelton responded. “It’s sad and unfortunate because we brought information to share with ALEC. In the context of racial profiling, all they’ve done with their ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws is throw kerosene on a fire”

Newt Gingrich: I’ll Tell African-Americans That They Should ‘Demand Paychecks And Not Be Satisfied With Food Stamps’

By Tanya Somanader/Think Progress

The GOP presidential candidates are becoming more comfortable trafficking in stereotypes when it comes to African-Americans and welfare benefits. Surprise Iowa frontrunner Rick Santorumrecently declared (and later denied) that “I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money; I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money.” The NAACP blasted Santorum for “inaccurate and outrageous” remarks that “lifts up old race-based stereotypes about public assistance.”

Today in New Hampshire, another GOP presidential hopeful offered his own take. Consistently slamming President Obama as “the best food stamp president in history,” Newt Gingrich tried to paint himself as a more desirable alternative to town hall attendees, insisting he’d be “the best paycheck president in American history.” Singling out African-Americans, Gingrich declared that he’d attend the NAACP just to tell African-Americans why they should “not be satisfied with food stamps”:

GINGRICH: More people are on food stamps today because of Obama’s policies than ever in history. I would like to be the best paycheck president in American history. Now, there’s no neighborhood I know of in America where if you went around and asked people, “Would you rather your children had food stamps or paychecks,” you wouldn’t [SIC] end up with a majority saying they’d rather have a paycheck.

And so I’m prepared, if the NAACP invites me, I’ll go to their convention and talk about why the African-American community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps. And I’ll go to them and explain a brand new Social Security opportunity for young people, which should be particularly good for African-American males — because they’re the group that gets the smallest return on Social Security because they have the shortest life span.

Watch it:

Not only is his perception of food stamp beneficiaries prejudicial, it’s false. The majority of people who participate in the food stamp program, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), are white. Most of the participants are also either children (who can’t earn a paycheck unless Gingrich gets his way) or seniors who are of retirement age. In 2010, working-women represented only 28 percent of SNAP beneficiaries, and working-age men represented only 17 percent.

What’s more, an increasing number of SNAP beneficiaries actually do have jobs and receive paychecks that are the primary source of their income. Unfortunately, only 15 percent of those incomes are above the poverty line. Thus, SNAP benefits provide a necessary safety net to families trying to stay afloat in a sluggish economy. But rather than seeing America’s most vulnerable populations as deserving of aid, Gingrich prefers to see them as lazy drug-users who prefer to put their benefits towards a Hawaii vacation.

NAACP: Voter ID laws a reaction to minority participation

By Andrew Jones/Raw Story

The National Associated for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said Monday that an increase in minority voting is the reason Republicans around the nation are pushing for tougher voter identification laws.

In a report titled “Defending Democracy: Confronting Modern Barriers to Voting Rights in America,” found states that states with large African-American populations have been subjected to more stringent requirements since the 2008 election.

“It’s been more than a century since we’ve seen such a tidal wave of assaults on the right to vote,” said NAACP President and CEO Ben Jealous. “Historically, when voting rights are attacked, it’s done to facilitate attacks on other rights. It is no mistake that the groups who are behind this are simultaneously attacking very basic women’s rights, environmental protections, labor rights, and educational access for working people and minorities.”

The NAACP noted that 11 percent of Americans do not have a government-issued identification. Among African-Americans, 25 percent do not have the documents required to vote, they found. For Latinos, the NAACP said that 16 percent lack proper identification.

The NAACP report also highlighted a Brennan Center of Justice study that 14 states, mostly Republican led, have enacted 25 restrictive voting measures, including eight states that now require a photo ID to vote.

The Democratic National Committee(DNC) released their own report on tougher voter ID laws, along with a website “Protecting the Vote.” Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, chair of the Democratic National Committee, called the new laws “a full-scale assault” on voting rights.

“These restrictive measures have one thing in common: They make it harder to vote, specifically for minority voters,” she said in a released statement. “Democrats will not sit idly by while the Republican Party attempts to infringe on the rights of American voters.”

Michigan impeding low-income voter registration, say voting rights groups

By Eric W. Dolan

National voting rights groups have accused Michigan of failing to provide low-income residents with a legally-mandated opportunity to register to vote and ignoring other barriers to voting in the state.

Attorneys from Demos, Project Vote, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the NAACP have sent a pre-litigation notice letter (PDF) to Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, demanding that she immediately act to bring the state into compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The law requires state public assistance agencies to provide voter registration services to their clients.

“Public agency registration is essential because it reaches people who are less likely to register to vote through other means, including low-income residents, minorities, the elderly, and the disabled,” said Nicole Zeitler, director of the Public Agency Voter Registration Program for Project Vote. “It’s important, it’s effective, and it’s the law.”

Section 7 of the NVRA requires state public assistance agencies to offer voter registration with every application for benefits, recertification, or change of address transaction.

But local offices of the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) have largely disregarded this law in recent years, according to the letter.

Michigan requires distribution of a voter registration application only when the applicant makes a request for one. To make matter worse, an investigation found three out of four clients who do request a voter registration application never receive one.

Registration data showed there was an 82.5 percent decrease in the number of voter registration applications submitted through public assistance agencies in Michigan from 2005 to 2008.

By failing to offer voter registration at the Michigan Department of Human Services offices, Michigan state officials are making it more difficult for low-income and minority citizens to register to vote," said NAACP General Counsel Kim M. Keenan. "The State of Michigan must fulfill its obligations under the NVRA. True democracy requires the participation of all citizens regardless of race."

The non-profit group Rock the Vote has also called for the state to update its voting laws.

"Voter registration remains the single greatest barrier to participation for young people," the group said in a study (PDF) published in June. "More than one-third of the hundreds of thousands of problems reported during the historic 2008 election were related to voter registration."

The study analyzed the 50 states’ voting systems and ranked Michigan 38th nationally, thanks in part to laws making it difficult to obtain an absentee ballot, a lack of same day registration and not allowing registered voters to cast ballots a day early.