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Milton erupts into Category 1 hurricane as Southeast reels from Helene aftermath; Last day to register in AZ focuses on voters with disabilities; Colorado one of 23 states to allow in-person registration on Election Day; Ohio's evolving landscape of student activism.

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The war between Israel and Hamas started a year ago, and VP Harris is being pressed on her position. Trump returns to campaign where he was shot at and voter registration deadlines take effect, with less than a month until Election Day.

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Cheap milk comes at a cost for residents of Washington's Lower Yakima Valley, Indigenous language learning is promoted in Wisconsin as experts warn half the world's languages face extinction, and Montana's public lands are going to the dogs!

Nonprofit leaders rally for federal voting rights reforms

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Thursday, September 12, 2024   

Nonprofit leaders from around the country gathered on Capitol Hill this week, pushing for what they're calling "sweeping democracy reforms" in Alabama and nationwide. Their focus is on advancing key legislation to secure voting rights and ballot access for all Americans. These include the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, which would set national voting standards, including automatic voter registration and two weeks of early voting.

Christine Wood co-director of Declaration for American Democracy, sees the need as urgent and said voting barriers have only increased since the 2013 "Shelby County versus Holder" Supreme Court ruling.

"Every year, bills are introduced and passed in state legislatures that we know have a disproportionate impact specifically on communities of color, especially when you look at things like closing of polling places, putting restrictions on early voting or vote-by-mail," she explained.

Alabama has been at the forefront of voting access issues - with laws such as Senate Bill 1, which makes it a felony for absentee ballot applications or ballots to be distributed, ordered, requested, collected, completed, obtained or delivered by a person other than the absentee voter.

David Walrod, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, also took to Capitol Hill to advocate for accessible and efficient voting processes. He said safeguarding voting rights should be a bipartisan priority. As an educator, Walrod believes being able to vote without barriers is crucial and reflects the core democratic values taught in schools.

"We recognize that one of the roles of public schools is educating students on the role of the government, and educating students about what it means to live in a democracy. Most states have some sort of a civics requirement, some sort of a government participation requirement," he continued.

The groups also are advocating for the Native American Voting Rights Act, to improve voting access for tribal communities, and the D.C. Statehood Act, seeking full congressional representation for Washington D.C.'s nearly 700,000 residents.


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