Write a letter of support to your local paper
Together, we are building a movement to improve the quality and
security of the U.S. electoral system by adding a right to vote
amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Please join us in advocating
the passage of H.J. Res. 28, the proposed amendment to the Constitution
to add a right to vote.Remember...
- Letters to the Editor should be no more than 150-160 words
- Focus on a single topic
- Include the name of the article you are referencing
- Include your name, address and day phone number at the bottom of your letter
- Most
papers will only publish one letter a month from a single
letter
writer
Talking Points
- In 2004 approximately 1.2 millions votes or 1 out of every 100 votes cast was lost or incorrectly counted. This is a result of poor ballot design and faulty equipment. In North Carolina one voting machine lost 4500 votes that were never counted. Those voters were disenfranchised.
- While some provisions of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) proved
beneficial, such as provisional ballots, this legislation needs to be updated.
- Voter fraud is as old as election themselves and thus experienced voters are even more likely than first-time voters to be doubly/improperly registered, but only first-time voters must show a valid ID. Furthermore, ID requirements will disproportionately affect people of color and college students who may not have proper ID.
- Over 9 million U.S. citizens are denied the right to vote that
they would otherwise be able to excercise if they lived in a differnt
part of the country. These voters include, ex-felons, felons,
Ameicans living abroad and residents of U.S. territories such as Guam,
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
- Millions of voters used new “touchscreen” voting equipment that lacks a voter verified paper trail and is produced by private companies that are driven by profit, not the public interest
- Contrary to popular belief there is no right to vote in the U.S.
Constitution. According the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court decision,
Americans do not have the right to vote for presidential electors,
instead states nominate electors to select the president. This
means that under our current system a state legislature could decide
against the popular will of the people and appoint electors of their
own choosing.
- Instead, we should urge Congress to make voting equal for all
Americans and tell them to support an amendment to the Constitution to
make voting a right of citizenship. Such an amendment would
streamline election policy and ensure that every citizen had an equal
opportunity to vote regardless of where they live.