The League of Young Voters Education Fund

By Christina Sanders (Texas State Director). Originally published on 99Problems.org.

This year has been a very emotional year for young people, people of color and the poor in Texas. Even though I was not alive during the era of Jim Crow laws that sought to segregate and suppress the electoral impact of African Americans, somehow I feel like I am in the midst of a Jim Crow fight today. The 82^nd Session of the Texas Legislature proved brutal to the confidence that many voting rights groups and advocates have in our state lawmakers. During that session, state house and senate representatives voted to approve a Voter ID bill that offered so many restrictions that one might assume Mr. Jimmy Crow wrote it himself.

This photo ID law was deemed “emergency” legislation by Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Someone please call 911 because that emergency  Voter ID bill could flip the script on Texas voters by no longer allowing voters to use a voter registration card to cast a ballot – leaving more than a half million registered voters shot and voiceless. Read more…

By Judith Browne Dianis (co-director of Advancement Project) and Jayme Montgomery (Wisconsin director of the League of Young Voters). Originally published in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

A year from now, the people of Wisconsin will be going to the polls to exercise one of the most cherished rights of our democracy: the right to vote. It is the fundamental pillar of our democracy that in the voting booth we are all equal – black or white, young or old, rich or poor. When we cast our ballot, we all raise an equal voice to determine the shape of our government.

Wisconsin legislators would deny that right. Strict new voter identification laws were proposed in 34 states, including our own. Wisconsin’s new voter identification restrictions, which passed the Legislature this year, are now the strictest in the country.

Read more…

FreeSpeechTV was on the scene at the Take Back the American Dream Conference this week. Latoya Peterson, from Racialicious, sat down with Biko to talk about how the League is using creative tactics to organize young people around the issues that matter to us:

On Voter ID laws and youth disenfranchisement:

TBAD 2011- Panel on Voter Supression from Velvet Revolution on Vimeo.

This week, Ohio’s State Senate is set to pass HB-159, which would require every voter to present a specific photo ID before they vote. The problem is that 900,000 Ohio voters don’t have the right ID.

Ohio’s Secretary of State, Jon Husted, has come out in opposition of the bill. It’s up to us to stop our Senators from passing this irresponsible legislation.

Speak up to stop HB-159 today!

The #1 item on the League’s 2011 agenda is fighting back in the War on Voting by helping 30,000 low-income youth get new IDs this year.

Text “ID” to 69866 to get the ID requirements in your state.

It’s our job to make sure that we get young people IDs and keep them informed. That’s why we’re partnering with Rock the Vote to spread awareness about the new laws. Not only will we be launching a massive media campaign- we’re also going to provide buses to get young people to the DMV to get new IDs throughout the next six months.

For the latest news updates on the War on Voting, check out #GotID on Twitter.

Read more…