Our Homes, Our Votes Updates – July 29, 2024

New Brief Reviews Ways to Protect against Mass Challenges to Voter Eligibility

In a new brief from the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice, attorneys Robyn Sanders and Alice Clapman survey longstanding federal and state legal protections against mass voter challenges and voter roll purges. Mass voter challenges, which tend to use unreliable data and intimidating tactics, can unjustly deprive individuals of their right to vote and inundate election offices with frivolous work.

In the face of a growing number of such challenges, it is important for voters and election administrators to be aware of their rights under current law. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) set guidelines for how and when states can remove voters from the voter rolls. Section 11b of the Voting Rights Act bans conduct that might intimidate voters. Some states have also created protections against mass challenges. For example, Pennsylvania charges a fee for filling challenges.

Read the complete brief here.

Committee on House Administration Releases Comprehensive Report on Voting Rights for Native Americans

Congressman Joe Morelle, ranking member of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on House Administration, recently released a report, “Voting for Native Peoples: Barriers and Policy Solutions.” The release of the report coincides with the centennial of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, which granted citizenship and the right to vote to Native Americans born in the U.S. Though this law was passed 100 years ago, Native people still face systemic barriers that can prevent them from participating in elections. Direct barriers that Native voters frequently face include extreme physical distances to in-person voting and voter services, lack of standard residential addresses, insufficient mail services, limited hours for in-person voting on reservations, restrictive voter ID laws, and inadequate language assistance.  The report also discusses how socioeconomic injustices, including higher rates of housing insecurity and poverty in Native communities, exacerbate the barriers to voting.

The report outlines policy solutions to rectify the barriers to political participation, including the passage of the Native American Voting Rights Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Read the full report here.

Become a Civic Holidays Partner!

Civic Holidays are nonpartisan days of action that strengthen and celebrate our country’s democracy. The four Civic Holidays – National Voter Registration Day, National Voter Education Week, Vote Early Day, and Election Hero Day – activate nonprofits, campuses, businesses, and other organizations to engage voters in their communities. Each holiday focuses on a different aspect of voter engagement: registration, education, mobilization, and celebration of voting. Nonpartisan organizations are invited to partner with the Civic Holidays. Partners will receive state-by-state FAQs and voter engagement guides, online voter tools, multilingual resources, swag, and other giveaways. Learn more and sign up to become a Civic Holidays partner here.

Become an Our Homes, Our Votes Affiliate!

Our Homes, Our Votes convenes a network of affiliates, which are nonpartisan organizations that are committed to boosting voter turnout among low-income renters and elevating housing as an election issue. Advocacy organizations, direct service providers, resident councils and tenant associations, local governments, and other related organizations are welcome to become Our Homes, Our Votes affiliates.

Benefits of participating in the affiliates network include:

  • Access to a listserv where NLIHC staff and campaign partners exchange ideas and announce opportunities related to nonpartisan voter engagement.
  • Invitations to biweekly affiliates office hours, an agenda-free, drop-in, optional space where affiliates can workshop their nonpartisan election plans. Office hours take place every other Friday from 1 to 3 pm ET.
  • Invitation to a post-election virtual gathering to debrief on the election cycle and brainstorm next steps for nonpartisan civic engagement.
  • Enhanced access to Our Homes, Our Votes tools and resources, including customized TurboVote referral links to track the impact of nonpartisan voter engagement activities.

To learn more about the affiliates network and apply to join, visit: https://www.ourhomes-ourvotes.org/affiliates

Order Bilingual Our Homes, Our Votes Swag on Shopify!

Celebrate voter participation with new Our Homes, Our Votes swag! Visit Shopify for an expanded collection of Our Homes, Our Votes apparel, accessories, stickers, buttons, and more. The collection includes brand-new TurboVote magnets, which direct voters to NLIHC’s online voter registration and information platform. All swag is available in both English and Spanish. Check it out at: https://nlihc.myshopify.com/

For bulk orders, please reach out to [email protected].