This past week, the decision by the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) to shut down its Public Safety and Elections Task Force, the task force that refined and promoted strict photo ID legislation that has been popping up in state legislatures over the past two years, was a significant victory for voting rights advocates. However, the damage is already done. Strict voter photo ID laws will be in place in several states this election, potentially disenfranchising millions if they don’t get the ID they need to vote. While several voting rights groups are fighting to get these laws overturned in the courts, organizers and community groups on the ground are stepping up to make sure that voters will have the IDs they need to be able to vote. Already, in Tennessee and Wisconsin, community groups and statewide organizations have developed programs to identify voters that lack a photo ID and to help them get the ID they need to vote.
As more states adopt strict photo ID laws, the Fair Elections Legal Network (FELN), along with Common Cause, Demos, and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, put together a new report, “Got ID? Helping Americans Get Voter Identification,” that draws lessons from programs in Tennessee, Wisconsin and Colorado and details the best strategies that community groups are using to help voters ensure they’ll be able to vote.
Full Article: Robert M. Brandon: Overcoming Obstacles to Photo ID Laws.