Democrats Go on Offense on Voting, Democracy
Source: nbc
Jul 9 2016, 10:14 am ET
Democrats Go on Offense on Voting, Democracy
by Zachary Roth
Over the last few years, Democrats responded to a wave of GOP-backed voting restrictions, as well as gerrymandering that has given Republicans a lock on the House and the systematic weakening of campaign finance laws, by taking a much bolder stance on issues of voting and democracy. Now, as Democrats get set to meet in Philadelphia later this month, that new direction is likely to be formalized in the party's official platform.
The Democrats' aggressiveness on these issues makes sense. In most cases, the easier it is for people to vote, and the more ordinary people are involved in funding elections, the better chance Democrats likely have in winning elections. But these stances also represent the party's movement toward embracing the notion that political equality is a good in itself.
"It is a core principle of the Democratic Party to maximize voter participation for all Americans," a draft of the 2016 platform states.
Related: Sanders Makes His Last Stand With Democratic Platform
On the voting rights front, the platform makes clear that Democrats intend to go on offense to expand access, rather than solely fighting off Republican restrictions. It calls for restoring the Voting Rights Act, which was weakened by the Supreme Court in 2013; expanding early voting, automatic voter registration and same-day registration; making Election Day a national holiday; re-enfranchising former felons who have served their sentences; and fighting voter ID laws. ..........................
Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/democrats-go-offense-voting-democracy-n606036
Our gov and Repugs cut back on the hours to vote and lessened early voting a few years ago. Some of what happens is up to the state but I welcome any expansion of voting they can do.
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