The 2020 Election Promises Record Turnout
Due to high levels of enthusiasm and interest, election experts are predicting record-setting rates in the upcoming 2020 election. In anticipation of this historic election, the ACLU, volunteers, and supporters of voting rights across the country have been advocating for state legislatures to adopt policies that improve registration, the voting process, and ensure that more citizens are eligible to participate.
This year, no state made greater improvements to the registration and voting process than New York. State legislators made voting reforms a priority and passed to enact early voting, create a pre-registration system for 16 and 17-year olds, provide an online voter registration system with greater accessibility, and allow portability of voter registration records. Furthermore, the state legislature took initial steps in passing state constitutional amendments that will enable New Yorkers to request an absentee ballot without an excuse and to register and vote on the same day. These common-sense reforms will help ensure that more people will be able to participate in future elections.
In addition to the advancements made in New York, other states improved their registration and voting processes this year. Maine enacted automatic voter registration to ensure that more eligible citizens are registered to vote before Election Day. Nevada and New Mexico enacted laws to allow for same-day voter registration. Virginia enacted no-excuse early in-person voting – a policy the state legislature has an opportunity to expand upon next year by passing additional pro-voter legislation. Lastly, Illinois enacted to ensure that pre-trial detainees in jails can cast their ballot during elections. ACLU People Power volunteers in Illinois began campaigning for this policy change back in 2017.
We’re all better off when more Americans participate in our democracy. In order to ensure that more citizens are eligible to participate in the upcoming election, the ACLU advocates for state legislatures to remove draconian voter disenfranchisement laws. These laws have racist roots and continue to fuel racial disparities in voting by disproportionately affecting African Americans. This year, progress was made in and , where individuals now have the right to register and vote immediately upon release from incarceration.
And just last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act. The bill would help ensure racial barriers to voting are removed from elections across the country. Passing the VRAA will advance needed protections for people whose right to vote is under attack based on the color of their skin.
ACLU works to ensure that all eligible citizens have the right to register to vote, cast their ballot, and have their ballot counted. We will continue to advocate for policies to help ensure that all eligible voters can have their voices heard in the 2020 election.
Part of an end of year wrap-up series. Read more:
Under Attack by Trump, Immigrant Justice is Advancing in the States
The Death Penalty in 2019: A Year of Incredible Progress, Marred by Unconscionable Executions
In 2019, We Fought Across the Country to Dismantle Mass Incarceration. We Won on Multiple Fronts.
2019 was a Watershed Year in the Movement to Stop Solitary Confinement
The Battle for Abortion Access is in the States
In the Midst of Trump's Attacks, Offshoots of Progress in Congress for Immigrants' Rights
Learn More About the Issues on This Page
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News & CommentaryDec 2024
Voting Rights
Election Day is Over. Why is the Electoral College Voting Now?Election Day is Over. Why is the Electoral College Voting Now?
The Electoral College meets December 17th to certify the results of the 2024 election, but why? The ACLU breaks down if the process is worth keeping. -
New York Supreme CourtDec 2024
Voting Rights
New York Communities for Change v. Nassau CountyNew York Communities for Change v. Nassau County
This case in New York state court centers on the landmark John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York (NYVRA) and the New York Municipal Home Rule Law (MHRL). The NYVRA, like several other state voting rights acts enacted in recent years, expands upon the federal Voting Rights Act’s protections against racial vote dilution. The MHRL prohibits racial discrimination and partisan gerrymandering in local-level redistricting. The ACLU’s Voting Rights Project and State Supreme Court Initiative, alongside the New York Civil Liberties Union, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Steptoe LLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of voters of color in Nassau County, New York alleging that a redistricting plan implemented in 2023 for Nassau County’s legislative districts dilutes the voting strength of Black, Latino, and Asian residents and is gerrymandered for partisan advantage in violation of the NYVRA and the MHRL. -
ArizonaNov 2024
Voting Rights
American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona v. RicherAmerican Civil Liberties Union of Arizona v. Richer
We sued elections officials in Arizona to extend the mail ballot “cure” deadline after ballot processing delays threatened to disenfranchise thousands of voters without notice. -
Press ReleaseNov 2024
Voting Rights
Civil Rights Groups Respond to Flawed Trial Court Opinion on New York Voting Rights ActCivil Rights Groups Respond to Flawed Trial Court Opinion on New York Voting Rights Act
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — On November 7, a New York State Supreme Court trial judge issued an opinion striking down the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York (NYVRA). Today, the Legal Defense Fund, American Civil Liberties Union, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, New York American Civil Liberties Union, and Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law issued the following statement in response to the ruling: “The NYVRA is unquestionably constitutional, and protects the freedom to vote for all New Yorkers by helping to ensure voters are not subjected to discrimination when participating in the political process. “The Nov. 7 decision by a state trial judge is deeply flawed and plainly incorrect. We fully expect the decision to be reversed on appeal. It flies in the face of basic legal principles and constitutes a stunning overreach in striking down the entire law, including provisions that are not at issue in the case. “To put it simply, the NYVRA does not discriminate, it bans discrimination – and in doing so protects New Yorkers’ most fundamental right. “New York is stronger when everyone has an equal opportunity to vote.”