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.
U.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 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.
read in fullReport Demonstrates Continued Importance of Nonprofit Voter Engagement at Election Time
Mar 25, 2009
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2009—Today, OMB Watch released a report, How Nonprofits Helped America Vote: 2008, that demonstrates the continued importance of nonprofit voter engagement in the United States.
read in fullConyers Introduces Bills Protecting Voter Rights in Election Aftermath
Feb 10, 2009
During the 2008 presidential election season, there were numerous allegations of attempts to disenfranchise legitimate voters. Some of the techniques involved voter caging, voter purging, and deceptive practices. To prevent the use of these techniques in the future, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) introduced legislation that would ban deceptive practices and eliminate voter caging. He also introduced a bill that would restore voting rights to numerous individuals who have been convicted of felonies and would make Election Day a holiday.
read in fullVeterans Administration Again Reverses Itself to Allow Some Voter Registration Drives
Sep 23, 2008 by Amanda Adams*
Over the past several months, support has been growing to allow voter registration efforts at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. In a reverse of policy, the VA will no longer ban voter registration drives for veterans living at federally operated nursing homes, shelters for the homeless, and rehabilitation centers across the country. A week after this change, the House passed the Veterans Voter Support Act to legislatively protect such activity and to ensure that the VA allow voter registration drives by nonpartisan groups. However, the VA told a Senate committee that it opposes the legislation in its current form.
read in fullFederal Court Denies Injunction and Upholds Strict Voter Registration Fines in Florida
Aug 19, 2008 by Amanda Adams*
On Aug. 6, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida denied the League of Women Voters of Florida's (LWVF) request for a preliminary injunction to prevent a harsh voter registration law from taking affect. The law levies substantial fines on organizations that register voters and that do not promptly deliver the completed voter registration forms to the Florida Division of Elections. While the law does prescribe tougher penalties for willful misconduct, it does not grant exemptions for undue hardships or for inadvertent errors.
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