This is the first in a series of posts focusing on issues we will be tackling at the 2014 ACLU of Ohio biennial conference, Resist. Reclaim. Restore Your Rights!
Working to defend and expand voting rights is a central focus for the ACLU of Ohio.
Recent events have made our work more important than ever.
Elections officials in our state made headlines last month by making it more difficult for Ohioans to vote early. Their rollback of early voting included cutting the “golden week” — the period when people could simultaneously register to vote and cast an in-person ballot — and eliminating evening and Sunday in-person early voting, which had been especially popular among African-American voters.
Robust opportunities for early voting have been extremely successful in Ohio. In fact, they have played a large part in minimizing the problems that marred Ohio elections in the early 2000s. Still, proponents of the new rollbacks have justified cuts to early voting with the excuse that voters here still “have it better” than those in some other states.
Register now for the 2014 ACLU of Ohio Biennial Conference!
Ohio should strive to be a leader in voting rights, not a follower. Making access to the ballot more expansive is not a generous act on the part of our elected leaders – it is their responsibility. After all, our government is supposed to work for us, not the other way around.
When our elected officials work to take our rights away, it is up to us to reclaim them.
Join us at our 2014 biennial conference in Columbus, which will feature two workshops focused on what we can do to expand voting rights in Ohio, even while others are working to take them away:
- Locked Up Doesn’t Mean Locked Out: Voting Rights of Formerly and Currently Incarcerated People — Did you know that every single one of the 20,000 Ohioans released from prison last year is eligible to vote? Join us at this workshop to learn how to engage currently and formerly incarcerated voters and empower people to change their communities.
- Online & Engaged: Voting Rights for People with Disabilities — People with disabilities are too often ignored by politicians and encounter barriers to the ballot box. Come to this workshop to learn about our recent campaign to expand pending online voter registration legislation to be fully accessible, and find out how you can work to expand the voting rights of all Ohioans.
Help us stand up for voting rights and the many other issues you care about in Ohio.
Be a part of our 2014 biennial conference.
Visit www.acluohio.org/conference/register to register now!
For the latest conference updates, including information about workshops, speakers, and continuing education opportunities, visit www.acluohio.org/conference.
