Nonprofits and Voter Mobilization
Super (Loud) PACs and Soft-spoken Issue Advocates
Feb 7, 2012
Outside groups are spending nearly 1,300 percent more on broadcast advertising for the 2012 election than they did in 2008, according to an analysis released on Jan. 30. This is the clearest demonstration yet that Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has fundamentally rewritten the rules for political spending.
Supreme Court Hears Arguments on State Disclosure of Petition Signatures
May 4, 2010
On April 28, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Doe v. Reed, a lawsuit filed by a political action committee in Washington State. The case could decide whether public disclosure of referendum petition signatures is permitted or if signing such a petition is a private political act protected by the First Amendment.
read in fullDISCLOSE Act Seeks to Blunt Impacts of Citizens United
May 4, 2010
To blunt the impacts of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) recently introduced companion bills, both called the DISCLOSE Act (the Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act). The legislative response would create new, rigorous campaign finance disclosure requirements meant to prevent moneyed interests from drowning out the voices of citizens and smaller advocacy organizations.
Memo Released on Citizens United Bill
Apr 23, 2010 by Amanda Adams*
After much hullabaloo, more details have been revealed about Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Chris Van Hollen's (D-MD) legislative response to counter the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. FEC. Even though it has not been formally introduced, a memo has been disclosed outlining the bill.
read in fullAU Asks IRS to Investigate Florida Church for Electioneering Against Gay Mayoral Candidate
Mar 26, 2010 by Lateefah Williams*
Americans United for Separation of Church and State asked the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to investigate a Florida church for improper electioneering. Americans United filed the complaint against Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, as a result of the church posting a sign on its property that read, "No Homo Mayor," in an apparent attempt to deter people from voting for Craig Lowe, an openly gay Gainesville mayoral candidate.
read in fullU.S. Supreme Court Unleashes Money Pit by Striking Down Corporate Spending Limits in Citizens United Ruling
Jan 21, 2010
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2010—The long-awaited decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission was issued today. With a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a 20-year-old precedent, which had stated that corporations can be prohibited from using money from their general treasuries to pay for their own campaign-related advertisements. Justices also struck down parts of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, also known as the McCain-Feingold bill, which prohibited unions and corporations from running issue ads before primary and general elections. OMB Watch is disappointed in today's decision and fears it will lead to moneyed interests drowning out the voices of citizens and smaller advocacy organizations.
read in fullNonprofits Play Role in Legislative Push to Remove Barriers to Voting
Nov 10, 2009
Nonprofits are playing a key role in a recent legislative push to remove barriers from the voting process. Various organizations have kept voting issues at the forefront by continuously informing the public about policies and tactics that disenfranchise voters. These organizations' efforts focus on military voting concerns, online voter registration, and election reform as a means to ensure that all citizens are able to vote as easily as possible.
read in fullRecent Push for Bipartisan Voter Reform Measures
Oct 30, 2009 by Lateefah Williams*
Recent efforts to reform and modernize the voter system have received bipartisan support. The Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, which would allow overseas troops and American citizens to access voter information online, passed Congress last week with bipartisan support from legislators who "decried an antiquated voting system that left as many as one out of four overseas ballots uncounted," according to Roll Call.
read in fullGroup Formed to Modify Voter Registration
Sep 1, 2009 by Amanda Adams*
The Committee to Modernize Voter Registration has been formed to work on overhauling the nation's voter registration system. The group consists of bipartisan members led by co-chairs Trevor Potter, general counsel for Senator John McCain's (R-AZ) presidential campaigns, and Marc Elias, lawyer for Senator Al Franken (D-MN) during the recount. The two charge that their campaign experiences have led them to believe that the country needs to move toward a more automated registration system.
read in fullAdvocacy Groups File Suit over Violations of Voter Registration Law
Jul 14, 2009
A coalition of voting rights groups has filed lawsuits against two states, Indiana and New Mexico, for failing to adequately implement a section of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), commonly known as the Motor Voter law. The groups charge that the states' public assistance agencies and motor vehicle offices have not met their responsibilities to offer residents the opportunity to register to vote.
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