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New Laws Attack Democracy's Most Fundamental Right
A deluge of new laws are forcing Americans to fight for the most basic right of all in a democracy: the right to vote. In Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin and other states where GOP governors and state legislatures spent the first part of 2011 attacking workers' rights, voter suppression was next on the agenda. Here's what happening in three states and what CWA members and allies are doing about it.
"This Is Nothing More Than an Effort to Suppress the Vote"
Not only does Wisconsin now require all voters to show state-issued photo ID, Gov. Scott Walker's administration has even tried to make it harder for people to get the identification they need.
The Republican governor ordered 10 DMV offices around the state closed this summer, but public outrage forced him to reverse the decision. But CWA members say there are still many battles to fight.
"Many People Could Be Prevented from Voting"
Ohio's law cuts the early voting period from 35 days to 16, bars poll workers from redirecting lost voters to their correct precinct, and bans county election boards from continuing to send mail ballot applications to all registered voters.
"The Most Vicious Attack I've Ever Seen"
The ability to turn out a large pro-worker vote on Election Day is the only thing that helps even the odds against the hundreds of millions of corporate dollars that pour into political campaigns.
Florida's Gov. Rick Scott and GOP lawmakers know this. In May, they rammed through a law that severely limits voter registration and early voting.