NYC City Council gives noncitizens voting rights
The New York City Council has followed through on their plan to grant voting rights to the vast majority of the metropolis’ documented non-citizens. On January 9th, 2023, the city’s Green Card holders, as well as holders of work authorizations, Deferred Action status (DACA), or Temporary Protected Status (TPS), will be allowed to register to vote in municipal elections. NYC Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, who sponsored the legislation, says, “During the height of the pandemic, it was our immigrant New Yorkers who kept New York
Sinema pops Democrats’ filibuster trial balloon on voting rights
Senator from Arizona Kyrsten Sinema continues to oppose her fellow Democrats’ evolving efforts to modify the filibuster in order to pass voting rights reforms. While Sinema insists that she supports both the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, she remains unwilling to weaken the 60-vote requirement for the passage of such legislation. A spokesman for Sinema says that the Arizona Senator is concerned that weakening the filibuster could mean that, in the future when Republicans once again have
Martin Luther King Jr.’s family calls for ‘no celebration’ of MLK Day without action on voting rights legislation
The family of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. is calling for a cancellation of the upcoming celebrations of MLK Day if Congress fails to pass voting rights reform. Martin Luther King III, the son of the slain civil rights icon, has said in a statement that "President Biden and Congress used their political muscle to deliver a vital infrastructure deal, and now we are calling on them to do the same to restore the very voting rights protections my father and countless
Stacey Abrams announces she’s running for governor in Georgia
Democrat Stacey Abrams has confirmed that she will run, once again, for Governor of Georgia. Abrams came to national attention when she last ran for Governor in 2018 against the current incumbent, Brain Kemp. Abrams contended that Kemp, who was serving as Georgia’s Secretary of State during the campaign, abused the powers of his office in order to win the governorship. Abrams went on to create Fair Fight, an organization which advocates for voting rights reform. Political observers note that Abrams will have many
Georgia voting rights lawsuit planned to go to trial in February
The voting rights lawsuit brought against the state of Georgia in the wake of the 2018 race for governor is set to receive a trial three years later, in February of 2022. Allegations of voter suppression and discriminatory policies in 2018 led to the creation of the voting rights organization Fair Fight, which brought the lawsuit. A federal judge has dismissed a number of the complaints that were initially filed in the suit. However, the trial is still scheduled to decide whether “exact match”