12 Facts for National Voter Registration Day (today!) 1. 39% of young voters identify as non-white, making them the most diverse voting generation in history. 2. In 2012, 66% of college students voted, versus only 35% of non-college students. 3. In 2012, 4% more young women voted than young men. 4. By 2015 the Millennial generation will account for one third of the electorate. 5. In at least 24 states, currently or will soon offer online voter registration. Oregon is one of them. 6. In 12 states, you can register on Election Day. Oregon is not one of them. 7. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a response to voter suppression in the 1960s. Last year, the Roberts Supreme Court, on a 5-4 vote, weakened it. 8. According to the Brennan Center, about 11 percent of U.S. citizens, or roughly 21 million citizens, dont have government-issued photo ID. (These are citizens, not just residents.) 9. The analysis also found that those who lack valid photo ID tended to be young people, those without college educations, Hispanics and the poor. 10. Since the 2010 election, new voting restrictions are slated to be in place in 22 states. The new laws range from photo ID requirements to early voting cutbacks to voter registration restrictions. Most restrictions passed through GOP-controlled legislatures and in states with increases in minority turnout. An LA Times headline quoted: Nothing Like it Since Reconstruction. 11. Voter Fraud is extremely rare. An analysis by News21, a national investigative reporting project, identified 10 voter impersonation cases out of 2,068 alleged election fraud cases since 2000 – or one out of every 15 million prospective voters. 12. Voter registration is automatic in many other countries. The Brennan Center notes that the U.S. is one of the few countries to make voters entirely responsible for registering. In Canada, for example, voters are added automatically to the rolls when they turn 18. National Voter Registration Day is organized by friends of XRAY, and happening across the country. Its a good day to update your registration online before the October deadline. Or register for the first time. Or tell a friend.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 19:37:22 +0000
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