The Right To Vote Campaign is a national collaboration of the American Civil Liberties Union, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, and The Sentencing Project whose mission is to remove barriers to voting by people with felony convictions. Originally formed in 2003 in alliance with other national civil rights and civil liberties organizations, Right To Vote has supported state-based campaigns for policy change, voter outreach, and public education.
Since 1997, Right To Vote member organizations have aided advocates in many of the 16 states that have enacted reforms to remove restrictions on voting rights for persons with felony convictions. In 2005 Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack issued an executive order restoring voting rights to all persons who had completed a felony sentence and the Nebraska legislature adopted a measure that replaced a lifetime voting ban with a two-year post-sentence waiting period for people with felony convictions. In 2006, Connecticut, Florida, and Tennessee changed their rights restoration procedures to promote registration by eligible voters with felony convictions.
Right To Vote's primary goals are to:
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Change state felony disenfranchisement policies
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Ensure compliance with state laws that protect voting rights
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Support targeted voter registration
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Create a national climate that supports re-enfranchisement
The Right To Vote Campaign accomplishes its mission through policy advocacy, litigation, public education, and community outreach. Right To Vote is currently working with state campaigns in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Mississippi, and Rhode Island, as well as providing support for policy change and implementation in additional states.
Resources from Right To Vote member organizations include:
American Civil Liberties Union – Democracy's Ghosts website, featuring information on the disenfranchisement DVD as well as advocacy resources and state campaign contacts.
Brennan Center for Justice – Resources for litigation and legislative support, along with advocacy campaigns for compliance with state law on voting by people with felony convictions.
The Sentencing Project – Weekly email newsletter and public education catalogue of resources on disenfranchisement research, public opinion, policy change, and commentary
State disenfranchisement data – see map for number of people disenfranchised by state and state contacts