voting rights Archives | Northwest Public Broadcasting

Felon Voting Rights Bill Dies On Washington Senate Floor In The Middle Of Debate

By Austin Jenkins February 19, 2020

File photo - Washington prison - Courtesy of Washington Department of Corrections

Legislation to automatically restore the voting rights of convicted felons when they are released from prison has died unexpectedly in the Washington Senate. Majority Democrats abruptly ended debate on the controversial bill Wednesday evening when they realized they lacked the 25 votes needed to pass the measure. Read More

19th Amendment, 19 Women: NY Philharmonic’s 2020 Program Celebrates Suffragists

By NPR News February 16, 2020

Tania León speaks at the premiere of her piece "Stride," one of 19 pieces composed by women that the New York Philharmonic commissioned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. CREDIT: Chris Lee/Courtesy New York Philharmonic

The NY Philharmonic has commissioned 19 women to create new works to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment. It's called Project 19. Continue Reading 19th Amendment, 19 Women: NY Philharmonic’s Read More

North Dakota And Native American Tribes Settle Voter ID Lawsuits

By NPR News February 15, 2020

Delaine Belgarde (right) shows the new Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa identification card, in Belcourt, N.D., in 2018. CREDIT: Blake Nicholson/AP

Tribes had sued because the law required voters to present identification with their home's street address — which often doesn't exist on reservations. Emergency rules will broaden the ID allowed. Continue Reading North Dakota And Native Read More

As Yakima Loses Latinx Representation On City Council, Organizers Wonder What Happened

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa November 21, 2019

If Washington voters don't mail in ballots, they can return them in person to drop boxes like this one at the Yakima County Elections Office. CREDIT: ESMY JIMENEZ/NWPB

Yakima's next council will likely be different. Only two Latina candidates ran for office this year, and just one has a lead — a narrow one — over her opponent. Yakima’s population is nearly half Latinx. Continue Reading Read More

55 Years Later, Lawyer Will Again Argue Over Redistricting Before Supreme Court

By NPR News March 24, 2019

Attorney Emmet Bondurant holds a map of Georgia's congressional districts around the early 1960s, exhibit #9 in the Wesberry v. Sanders case he argued before the Supreme Court as a young lawyer. CREDIT: Johnny Kaufman/WABE

When he was just 26 years old, Emmet Jopling Bondurant II argued and won a foundational voting rights case in the Supreme Court. This week, he returns to take on partisan redistricting. Continue Reading 55 Years Later, Lawyer Will Read More

Washington Legislators Consider Statewide Native American Voting Rights Act

By Emily Schwing January 24, 2019

Washington state Sen. John McCoy, D-Tulalip, is sponsoring the Native American Voting Rights Act. Courtesy of office of Joe McCoy

A bill in the Washington Senate seeks to improve voting rights for Native Americans. The Native American Voting Rights Act is sponsored by John McCoy, the only tribal member in the state Senate. Continue Reading Washington Read More

IDs Of Many Native Americans Won’t Be Accepted At North Dakota Polling Places

By NPR News October 13, 2018

This June, instructions were posted at an early voting precinct in Bismarck, N.D. In that primary election, tribal IDs that did not show residential addresses were accepted as voter ID. But those same IDs will not be accepted in the general election. CREDIT: James MacPherson/AP

The Supreme Court has upheld a state law requiring voters' IDs to have street addresses, which many reservations do not use. Native American groups are now scrambling to prepare for Election Day. Continue Reading IDs Of Many Native Read More

Court Rules North Carolina Can Use Gerrymandered Map In November

By NPR News September 5, 2018

A court ruled that congressional maps that came from North Carolina State Capitol were unconstitutionally gerrymandered but will still be used in November. CREDIT: GERRY BROOME/AP

Judges in North Carolina said Tuesday that there isn't enough time to approve a new map before a new session of Congress — despite finding the map to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered. Continue Reading Court Rules North Carolina Can Use Read More

Big Changes Coming To Voting Rights And Access In Washington

By Austin Jenkins March 16, 2018

washnigton state capitol CREDIT: BRIANHE / WIKIMEDIA - TINYURL.COM/ZMPZ86K

Youth age 16 and 17 will soon be able to pre-register to vote in Washington. That’s just one of several voting-related bills the governor is scheduled to sign into law soon. Continue Reading Big Changes Coming To Voting Rights And Access In Read More