Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • How diverse is your government? These two laws changed who holds power in California Audio icon

    October 05, 2020 |

    Sacramento Bee |

    Multi-Media |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, California

    In California, two laws have helped to open opportunities for less experienced candidates to win state and local offices, which has increased representation among people of color. A 1990 law set term limits for the state legislature, which forces turnover, and the California Voting Rights Act allowed communities of color to demand electoral changes, including by-district elections that have increased Latinx and Black representatives at the local level. These laws have helped to level the playing field but the benefits have not occurred across all districts, instead they tend to be driven by a few cities.

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  • Minnesota nonprofits boost voter outreach for 2020 election

    October 05, 2020 |

    Minnesota Star Tribune |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Minnesota

    Nonprofits increased voter engagement in communities that face barriers to voting. Deaf Equity posted videos on social media in ASL to educate voters on how to register to vote and track mail-in ballots. The Native American Community Development Institute is engaging with voters in rural Minnesota, religious leaders at mosques, churches, and temples are encouraging members to vote, and volunteers at food shelves are handing out voter registration forms. Several groups have received funding to conduct voter outreach with Black and Muslim communities as well as neighborhoods where people have lower incomes.

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  • 'A New Generation of Poll Workers' Steps Up to Ensure Safe, Fair Elections Audio icon

    October 01, 2020 |

    Ms. Magazine |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States

    New groups are recruiting poll workers to help fill shortages made worse by Covid-19. Poll Hero Project is an initiative created and led by young people that has recruited over 28,000 high school and college-age poll workers using social media. Power the Polls is a coalition of well-known brands that used social media outreach, digital marketing, and celebrity promotions to sign up over 530,000 volunteers. Both groups help navigate what can be a complicated process to sign up to work the polls.

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  • Empowering the survivor voting block Audio icon

    October 01, 2020 |

    Boulder Weekly |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Colorado

    Colorado’s Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) helps survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse keep their physical addresses private. Registering to vote requires an address, which is part of the public record. The ACP program can also be used to enroll children in schools, on their driver’s licenses, and in court. ACP works with the postal service to create ghost addresses for survivors and it serves as the only place where the addresses are known. Four thousand people are currently using the service and up to 9,000 have used it since it began.

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  • After 7 years of voting by mail, Colorado voters aren't taken in by absentee ballot drama

    October 01, 2020 |

    Coloradoan |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Colorado

    Colorado's mandatory, all-mail balloting system encounters very few cases of fraud or mistake while making voting easier and more accessible to all voters. Everyone who applies for a driver's license or Medicaid gets registered. Since 2013, ballots are mailed to all registered voters. The state eased into that system by first fulfilling mail-in ballots by request – something 70% of voters already were doing by the time the system became mandatory. One former secretary of state cautions that voter list maintenance is a daunting challenge. But the state's system is often called the most secure in the country.

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  • Wyoming Voter Turnout Lags Averages; Could Access Reforms Help?

    September 30, 2020 |

    WyoFile |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Colorado

    Colorado’s election reforms have increased voter participation in local, state, and national races. Voters can register to vote online or in-person, even on election day, and eligibility is cross-checked with existing state agencies. State voter registration rolls track address changes, rather than automatically purging voter-roll. Every registered voter is mailed a ballot that can be returned by mail or dropped off at official sites. Turnout increased from 66% in 2008 to 72% in 2016 and was the second highest in the nation's 2018 midterm elections. Several other states have implemented Colorado’s reforms.

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  • The Obama Justice Department Had a Plan to Hold Police Accountable for Abuses. The Trump DOJ Has Undermined It.

    September 29, 2020 |

    ProPublica |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States

    One of the most powerful tools used to reform policing practices, widely credited with restoring public faith in such troubled departments as the Los Angeles Police Department, is called a consent decree. The U.S. Justice Department sues cities where police abuses are seen as rampant. Then, under the watchful eye of a judge and independent monitor, the department agrees to a package of reforms. Under the Trump Justice Department, though, the tool has gone unused in new cases. In existing cases, the government has become passive, allowing cities to flout their agreements without consequence.

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  • 2020 Changes Help Disabled, Blind Voters

    September 29, 2020 |

    KDNK Community Radio |

    Podcast |

    3-5 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Colorado

    A Colorado system allows voters with disabilities to request an accessible ballot, which enables them to fill out their ballot online using a personal computer or a smart phone. This allows voters to maintain confidentiality in their voting selections rather than needing to have someone assist them in filling out their ballot. Voters can fill out their ballots online, using assistive technologies if necessary, and then print their ballot to either mail to their county clerk or drop off at an official ballot drop box in their county.

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  • Taiwan's Crowdsourced Democracy Shows Us How to Fix Social Media

    September 27, 2020 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Taiwan

    vTaiwan is a mixed-reality, scaled listening exercise used by the government as a new way to make decisions. The platform provides an online space for citizens to debate and for politicians to listen to. The government lays out political questions, such as regulating Uber or changing time zones, and people can share their feelings, agree and disagree, but divisive statements and trolling are not posted. After debating for a period of time it became apparent that people converged around points of consensus. The government has implemented about a dozen laws and regulations based on the discussions.

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  • Black women legislators are rare in statehouses. This could be the solution.

    September 25, 2020 |

    The 19th |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Washington

    A newly established PAC in Washington state aims to increase the likelihood of Black women being elected to Washington State Legislature by eliminating the financial barrier that often impedes candidates from running their campaigns on an equal playing field. Although it is yet to be seen how the elections will turn out, the PAC has already succeeded in fundraising over $200,000 and distributing those funds to various campaigns.

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