Few traits, if any, are more fundamentally American than its democratic system. Unfortunately, our country still falls short of the full promise of democracy.
One of the most notorious ways in which voting rights are under attack is voter ID laws, like the one passed in WV in 2016. These laws are based on the demonstrably false belief that there is rampant in-person voter fraud. However, members of the WV legislature failed to identify a single case of in-person voter fraud within the state.
In West Virginia, the ACLU is working to ensure that voters and election officials understand that the law will not be in effect during the November elections. The ACLU-WV will similarly work to make sure voters are aware of all the forms of acceptable ID in subsequent elections.
Educating individuals about their rights is a time-honored tradition in the ACLU and not limited to just voter ID laws. Below are a few ways we’re working to educate and fight on behalf of all West Virginians’ voter rights.
Voter Rights Guide
For the 2016 election, the ACLU of WV has produced a guide to voters’ rights. We have provided this guide to organizations across the political spectrum that are involved in voter turn-out projects. Click here to view and download the guide.
Voter Rights and the Criminal Justice System
All eligible voters must understand their right to participate in our democracy. Pre-trial detainees – that is, people who are being held in jail without being convicted of a crime – and those incarcerated for almost all misdemeanors are entitled to vote. The ACLU is working to ensure that those individuals and the jail officials are aware of, and respect, that right.
Online Voter Registration Watchdog
When education isn’t enough, the ALCU is not afraid to take the fight to the courts. The ACLU-WV filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court of Appeals when we discovered that clerks in Kanawha and Cabell Counties were not honoring changes to voter registration that happened through the state-run voter registration system. These types of actions, which deprive people of their constitutional rights, are unconstitutional and just plain wrong.
Individual Right to Candidacy
Similarly, when the Supreme Court of Appeals refused to allow Erik Wells to run as an independent, its ruling removed all third-party and independent candidates from the ballot. The ACLU joined in an emergency appeal to federal court as a friend of the court to help ensure that independent and third-party candidates would remain on the ballot.
Know Your Voting Rights Talk
ACLU of WV Executive Director, Joseph Cohen, will be giving a talk in Morgantown at the WVU College of Law on October 13 to discuss voter rights both within and outside of the polling place and resources available to voters leading up to and on election day. Check out the event page for more information.
We'll be touring this talk across WV. If you're interested in having us come to your community, let us know in the comments below or via the contact page.
Election Day Hotline
On November 8, ACLU will be ready to hear about irregularities and problems at the polls. Problems can be reported on www.acluwv.org or by calling 304-345-9262.
