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Washington, DC – November 24, 2015

Rock the Vote President Ashley Spillane released the following statement following the decision of Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear to sign an executive order on Tuesday that will, according to the Brennan Center, allow over 170,00 Kentuckians with non-violent convictions and who have fully completed their sentences (including probation and parole) the ability to restore their voting rights through a simple rights restoration process.

“We applaud Kentucky Gov. Beshear’s decision to make one of his last acts in office restoring the right to vote to 170,000 Kentucky citizens with past criminal convictions. Democracy works best when all eligible citizens participate and make their voices heard – including American citizens who live, work and raise families in our communities after serving their time. We hope Iowa and Florida follow Kentucky’s lead, as they are the only two states remaining where those with prior criminal convictions lose their voting rights permanently.”

Nearly 6 million American citizens are unable vote because of a past criminal conviction. As many as 4.4 million of these citizens live, work, and raise families in our communities. But because of a conviction in their past they are still denied this fundamental democratic right. These laws, deeply rooted in our troubled racial history, have a disproportionate impact on minorities. Across the country, 13 percent of African-American men have lost their right to vote, which is seven times the national average.

ABOUT ROCK THE VOTE

Rock the Vote is the largest non-partisan, non-profit organization in the country driving the youth vote to the polls. Since 1990, Rock the Vote has fused pop culture, music, art and technology to fulfill its mission of building long-term youth political power. During the past six Presidential elections, Rock the Vote ran the largest voter registration drives for young people and has partnered with more than 25,000 partners through its online, multi-lingual voter registration tool. Rock the Vote is dedicated to mobilizing the vote, protecting voting rights and advocating for an electoral process and voting system that works for the Millennial generation, America’s largest and most diverse population in its history.

Contacts:
Kiki Burger | media@rockthevote.com | 202-719-9910

Rock the Vote President Ashley Spillane released the following statement about the call on presidential debate hosts to discuss voting rights:

“Rock the Vote is proud to stand alongside 40 civil and human rights groups that are calling on voting rights to become an issue in the presidential debates. We are urging tonight’s debate host, CNBC, to make the third Republican presidential debate the first that asks our country’s potential future leader what it would do to strengthen the Voting Rights Act. In addition, we co-signed a letter to MSNBC president Phil Griffin to do the same when the news network hosts the second Democratic debate in November. Voting rights are one of our country’s most critical issues, and following the Supreme Court’s decision in 2013 to strike down parts of the Voting Rights Act, voters need to know where the candidates stand in restoring those rights.”

About Rock the Vote

Rock the Vote is the largest non-profit and non-partisan organization in the United States building the political power of young people. Fusing pop culture, politics, and technology, Rock the Vote works to mobilize the millennial voting bloc and the youth vote, protect voting rights, and advocate for an electoral process and voting system that works for the 21st century electorate. Since 1990, Rock the Vote has revolutionized the use of pop culture, music, art and technology to inspire political activity. Now, for almost 25 years, Rock the Vote has pioneered ways to make voting easier by simplifying and demystifying voter registration and elections for young adults.

Rock the Vote has run the largest voter registration drives for young people on record during the past six Presidential elections. In 2008 and 2012, our on-the-ground efforts, online organizing, and cutting-edge tools and technologies made us the largest non-partisan voter engagement campaign in the nation. All of these efforts have resulted in Rock the Vote processing nearly seven million voter registrations, bringing millions more to the polls, and becoming a trusted resource for young people, government agencies, and technological innovators passionate about political discourse and engagement.

Contacts:

Kiki Burger | kiki@rockthevote.com | 202.719.9910

Hey, Alabama! Can’t wait to flex your power and vote?

Well (record scratch sound effect) – the state just made things way harder for you.

This week, 31 DMV offices – you know, the places where you can get the most commonly used form of a photo ID: a driver’s license – were closed down across the state.

This is a huge problem, considering the fact that possessing a valid photo ID became a requirement to voting in Alabama last year.

With all the modern advancements being made everyday, voting should be getting easier. NOT more difficult.

Do not be discouraged from voting. We want to help empower you to show up on Election Day.

Here’s some helpful info on acceptable IDs and how you can get one:

First, if you can make your way to an open DMV, you can get a driver’s license, which you can vote with. Here’s the list of open DMVs here.

If you can’t get an Alabama driver’s license or don’t want one, you can use several other types of photo ID to vote, including:

·       a valid passport;

·       a valid state-issued ID (by Alabama or any other state);

·       a valid employee ID from the federal government or from the State of Alabama or any of its counties, municipalities, boards, or other entities of the state;

·       a valid federally issued ID; a valid military ID;

·       a valid Alabama non-driver ID; and a valid tribal ID;

·       a valid student (and campus employee) ID from a public or private college or university in the state of Alabama (including postgraduate technical or professional schools).

If you don’t have any of these IDs, you can apply for a free photo ID from your local county registrars. Important note - make sure you don’t have any of the accepted IDs before applying for a free voter ID! Alabama is very strict on this one – applying for a free ID when you possess another acceptable ID is against the law.

How to get a FREE Alabama Voter Identification Card:

Step 1: Make sure that your voter registration is up to date. In order to get a voter ID card, you must be registered to vote. You can do that through rtvote.com/alabama.

Step 2: Request your Alabama Voter Identification Card by filling out this form (forms are also be available in-person). 

Step 3: Present the form in person, either by bringing it with you or by filling it out in person.

If you’re in the capital area, you can take the form right to the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office State Capitol Building located at: Suite S-105 600 Dexter Avenue Montgomery, Alabama 36103-5616.

If you’re not in Montgomery, head to your county registrar’s office (there’s one in every county). The addresses for the registrars are listed here.

If either of the options above don’t work for you, there will also be a van cruising around the state, issuing free IDs in the next few weeks. Check it out to see if it’s coming to a town near you!

Step 4: To get a free ID, you do need to bring some documentation along with you. You can bring any one of the following documents:

– A photo ID document or a non-photo identity document that contains your full legal name and date of birth; or

–Documentation showing that you are a registered voter (can be verified there onsite or you can bring the form with you and register at the same time); or 

–Documentation showing your name and address as reflected in the state’s voter registration record.

While we must work to make voter registration and casting a vote easier for every American, we cannot be discouraged from taking the steps necessary to participating on Election Day. 

Please let us know if you have any questions by emailing info@rockthevote.com or tweeting us at @RockTheVote

Rock the Vote President Ashley Spillane released the following statement after New Hampshire’s State House passed SB 179 yesterday:

“Considering how much people complain that our generation doesn’t care about politics, it’s disheartening to see efforts to discourage our participation in places like New Hampshire. We believe our elected officials should agree that our democracy is strongest when more people participate, particularly young people who represent our country’s future. With that goal in mind, we should be working to elevate the voices of young Americans, not silencing them with measures that can disproportionately impact their right to vote.”

Elena Hilton, RTV

What happens less frequently than being struck by lightning? Voter fraud. So why are so many states dedicating so much time to creating Voter ID laws that make it even more difficult to get people to the polls?

On this day in 1873, women’s voting rights activist Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 for voting in a presidential election.  It’s been 141 years and voting still comes at a financial cost for over 10 percent of Americans.

One out every 10 Americans does not have a form of government-issued photo ID, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. The National Conference of State Legislators reported that eight states currently will not allow someone to cast their vote without a valid photo ID, and 34 states require some type of personal identification to be produced before being allowed to vote.

For those Americans without photo IDs (generally the elderly, students, or people with low incomes), it can be extremely difficult to find transportation to places where they can obtain an ID.

In addition, it can cost about $30 to acquire the documents necessary (birth certificates, marriage licenses, etc.) to receive an ID and the actual ID can cost anywhere from $5 to $30 according to DMVanswers.com. Not to mention that implementing photo ID voter laws costs tax payers millions of dollars.

Some alternatives to photo IDs suggested by the Brennan Center for Justice are signature comparisons, verification of social security numbers or statewide voter registration databases.

It’s been a century and half since Susan B. Anthony had to pay for her right to vote – and current voter ID laws aren’t too far off from sending us back to the 1800s. 

(Photo Credit)