ACCESSING DEMOCRACY: A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ISSUE 1 ABOUT BRADY Founded in 1974, Brady works across Congress, courts, and communities, uniting gun owners and non-gun owners alike to take action, not sides, and end America’s gun violence epidemic. Our organization today carries the name of Jim Brady, who was shot and severely injured in the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. Jim and his wife, Sarah, led the fight to pass federal legislation requiring background checks for gun sales. Brady continues to uphold Jim and Sarah’s legacy by uniting Americans from coast to coast, red and blue, young and old, liberal and conservative, to combat the epidemic of gun violence.

ABOUT MARCH FOR OUR LIVES March For Our Lives is a national student-led movement to end gun violence in America. Its mission is to harness the power of young people across the country to fight for sensible gun violence prevention policies that save lives. Since the historic march in the nation’s capital and 800+ sibling marches in 2018, MFOL registered thousands of new voters, helped to pass more than 50 gun safety laws around the country, held the 2020 Presidential Gun Safety Forum, and released the bold gun safety plan Peace Plan For A Safer America. Concurrently March For Our Lives has established nearly 300 youth-led chapters across the country, continuously growing this chapter network to give young people a local forum to exercise their activism. For more information visit www.marchforourlives.com.

ABOUT TEAM ENOUGH Team ENOUGH is a youth-led organization whose mission is to educate young voices about gun violence and mobilize them to take meaningful action against it. Supported by Brady, Team ENOUGH strives to harness the expertise and experience of today’s youth to advance an intersectional approach to gun violence prevention with a focus not only on regulating access to firearms, but also on addressing the ways systemic racism and environmental factors cause gun violence to disproportionately impact communities of color. INTRODUCTION

Our country is currently in a moment of societal, political, and cultural upheaval. The institutions we have been taught to trust are faltering; the racist foundation these systems have been built upon has been laid bare for all to see. From how the coronavirus has disproportionately affected communities of color to law enforcement’s unequal targeting of the Black community, the illusion of fairness in America continues to fade for many. The same root causes that have led to the unjust and inequitable lived experiences for communities of color have long perpetuated a cycle of violence that disproportionately leaves these communities vulnerable to the scourge of gun violence.

Often the response to that perpetuated violence are solutions that, intentionally or not, increase both police actions against, and the subsequent incarceration rates of, under-resourced communities. The communities that shoulder the burden of our nation’s flaws have also been historically marginalized and cut out of the democratic process. These communities have been deprived of the avenues of direct democracy most necessary for citizens to have agency in their own future - their right to vote.

There is a groundswell of leaders, organizations, and individuals raising their voices to propose ways we can turn this collective rage and momentum into lasting change. While there is no one right way to do so, we must start by recognizing the white supremacist ideology inherent in both U.S. law enforcement and the country’s political processes — inherent because white supremacy is the foundation of all U.S. political systems. Our criminal justice system selectively disenfranchises many previously incarcerated citizens, even once they have served their time. Communities of color and those living with disabilities have been historically excluded from the electoral process; it is critically important to the future of our democracy that we recognize this reality and dismantle the barriers that have marginalized these communities.

Through moving polling places to inaccessible locations, instituting onerous requirements for receiving and sending absentee ballots, passing strict identification and signature matching laws, creating barriers to , disenfranchising previously incarcerated individuals, shortening opportunities in high-density neighborhoods, refusing to address polling location issues such as long lines, and failing to conduct comprehensive public outreach and education campaigns, those in charge have perpetrated a We aren’t advocating for these policies democratic system that is not equally within reach “in addition to” our shared fight for gun to all citizens. This highlights why a policy like violence prevention — our organizations universal Brady background checks — a policy have come together because we supported by more than 90% of Americans across recognize that creating an equitable and the political spectrum — has failed to secure a safe democracy is inextricably tied to favorable vote in the U.S. Senate, and is only the law our fight for gun violence prevention. of the land in approximately half of the states which that body represents.

ACCESSING DEMOCRACY: A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ISSUE 3 While we cannot address all of these issues in this toolkit,1 we hope to protect voting — the cornerstone of our democracy — by providing activists and advocates with a comprehensive look at substantial and effective reforms achievable between now and November 2020. We aren’t advocating for these policies “in addition to” our shared fight for gun violence prevention — our organizations have come together because we recognize that creating an equitable and safe democracy is inextricably tied to our fight for gun violence prevention. This toolkit will discuss a variety of possible policy changes — large and small, brief and lasting — belonging to four broad categories:

1. Vote by mail & absentee voting; 2. Voter registration; 3. Early voting; 4. Restoration of voting rights.

The key to this toolkit is that the solutions it suggests are ones we can plan for and implement immediately. While many of these changes can be enacted by election officials in your state, some may need to be mandated by your governor, mayor, attorney general, secretary of state, local or state court, local or state legislature, or some combination of the above. Regardless of the “who,” we have attempted to provide a guide to understanding the “how.”

With that, we recognize that many of the policy changes or implementation modifications that we advocate for throughout this toolkit and the accompanying state toolkits will require varying degrees of additional funding at state and local levels. While barriers to funding are persistent — especially given the coronavirus pandemic, which has required dramatic budget reallocation and difficult financial decisions for many states and municipalities — grant programs do exist, and elected officials must prioritize voting rights as an absolutely fundamental pillar in our democracy. We must also demand that Congress provide states with the $4 billion in funding that is necessary to ensure the 2020 elections are safe, equitable, and accessible to all.2 Both Brady and March For Our Lives have echoed this important funding request on the federal stage as a part of the Congressional coronavirus relief efforts. This toolkit includes maps that will assist you in identifying your state’s current laws. This will enable you to advocate for more robust voter choices and protections and to help educate your elected officials on proper implementation of both current and new laws.

We offer our sincerest thanks to the many organizations and individuals whose advice and insight on this complex issue were invaluable to the toolkit’s construction, particularly the Center for American Progress, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Guns Down America, and the Hub Project. The resources of these groups, along with the Brennan Center, the ACLU, the NAACP, and many more, helped to inform and shape the materials you will read below. We are grateful for and indebted to these organizations and the dedicated individuals who work every day to protect the voting rights of all Americans.

This toolkit offers tangible ways for you to speak up about necessary voting reforms in your community. It is only by raising the collective power of our voices that we can ensure all Americans have equitable access to free, fair, and safe elections.

4 BRADYUNITED.ORG/DEMOCRACY GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND DEMOCRACY

Our organizations are proud to unite in an Of course, our organizations are no strangers to the intergenerational vision that identifies this critical work importance of elections. 20 years ago at the Million as a key element of our platform to end gun violence. Mom March, Sarah Brady famously cried out a call to For decades, gun violence prevention advocates and action when she stated that “we must either change the activists have waged hard-fought battles against minds of lawmakers on these issues or, for God’s sake, legislators bought and paid for by the corporate gun this November let’s change the lawmakers!”3 Eighteen lobby — even as lives are one by one snuffed out by years later, when March For Our Lives defined the gun suicide, homicide, domestic violence, police violence, violence prevention movement for a new generation, and unintentional shootings. Victims’ families and one call that prominently echoed from crowds in cities survivors have been forced to watch as legislation and states across the country was as simple as it was supported by the vast majority of the American public familiar: “Vote Them Out.” We proudly join the chorus across the political spectrum has been shut down by of civil rights advocates who have long demanded our a system inaccessible to so many due to the inherent country live its spoken values of granting every citizen inequalities in our electoral process. The communities the right to participate in the democratic process. that face the highest risk of gun violence in this country Toward that end, we ask you to join us in seizing the are also - not coincidentally - those who are pushed moment and combating the insidiousness of voter to the periphery of our democratic system. These suppression — and the distrust it breeds in marginalized inequities are intentionally perpetrated to prevent those communities across the country. who are most impacted by issues like gun violence from being able to take part. By being excluded — in whole or HOW ARE GUN VIOLENCE & DEMOCRACY in part — from the process of voting, these constituents CONNECTED? lose the opportunity to hold their elected officials accountable for their actions. Statistics show that the majority of people across the United States support efforts to prevent gun violence. For example, nearly every poll since 2013 has shown more than 90% of Americans support universal The communities that face the highest background checks for every gun sale.4 That said, risk of gun violence in this country are actions in support of common-sense gun policies also - not coincidentally - those who are most likely to occur only when elected officials are pushed to the periphery of our represent the values of the populace — and when all democratic system. These inequities voters are equally represented at the local, state, and are intentionally perpetrated to federal level. These representatives must stand for the prevent those who are most impacted unique interests of gun violence victims and survivors in by issues like gun violence from being order to ensure future generations are spared the pain able to take part. and trauma felt by too many in the U.S. today. Put simply, representation matters.

ACCESSING DEMOCRACY: A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ISSUE 5 As the movement becomes increasingly cognizant of how gun violence disproportionately impacts Black and Latinx communities, it has become more critical than ever for gun violence KEY prevention activists to support civil rights advocates in dismantling systemic and MESSAGING systematic barriers to voting. This ensures that communities most impacted by gun violence are able to vote for elected officials willing to take concrete steps to prevent and protect all communities from the scourge of gun violence. • The Framers tell us that the fabric and power of our government “flow” from the “legitimate authority” of the people. Our government was explicitly founded on this There is a general understanding that Black principle: consent of the governed. We know that this and Latinx communities experience gun bedrock principle has never been applied equally since the violence at significantly higher rates than founding of our nation; from the beginning, many voices their white counterparts. However, we urge have been silenced by systemic inequality and outright activists to not simply note this disparity, suppression. Yet, this is a principle and vision that we but build it into the narrative describing continue to aspire to. why gun violence is one of the most urgent issues in this moment. The experiences of • Nowhere is this clearer than in our nation’s ongoing gun under-resourced communities should be violence epidemic, where we see overwhelming bipartisan as commonly heard and prioritized as the support for common-sense policies — over 90% for experiences activists share about mass universal background checks — that cannot receive a vote shootings and unintentional shootings in Congress. in the home. Similarly, the issue of police • We see that the communities most affected by gun violence is no longer the sole responsibility violence, namely Black and Latinx communities, face the of civil rights advocates or racial justice greatest barriers to making their voices heard. organizations; a mother grieving the death of her child does not experience more or • It is not enough to name these barriers and the inequalities less pain based on the origin of the bullet, they preserve. If we are to prevent gun violence, such which is why we stand firm in the assertion obstructions must be actively dismantled. We cannot fully and properly address gun violence without improving that police violence is gun violence. Election access to our electoral system for Black, Latinx, Asian, years are one of the most worthy and Native American, and other historically marginalized appropriate times to highlight the need for communities and voters, such as those living with leadership invested in change. disabilities.

• To bring about policy change, we must have representatives that are elected by and responsive to the American people — all of them. Without this kind of direct and faithful representation, the issues most important to all Americans, such as gun violence, will never progress toward their solutions. KEY FACTS

If you are Black in America, you are 10 times more likely to be the victim of a gun homicide than a white person. Black Americans make up a higher percentage of gun FACT violence victims in this country, and 1 out of every 13 Black Americans cannot vote due to a past conviction. That is four times the rate of other Americans.5

In many communities across the country, the shootings of Latinx and Black individuals go unsolved at a dramatically higher rate than those of their white counterparts.6 These communities also suffer the most from stringent voter ID laws7 and other barriers to voting, FACT like removing or rolling back early voting centers.8 In Chicago, a city that has long struggled to solve homicides, the rate of unsolved murders is not equal amongst the population of the city. When the murder victim is white, 47% of cases are solved, compared to just 33% for Hispanic victims and less than 22% for African Americans.9

Polling place lines are a consistent problem across the United States, but research shows that lengthy wait times are most likely to happen in communities with minority populations. For example, consider Arizona’s 2016 primary election, during which closures of polling places disproportionately impacted the city’s Latinx population. Data showed long lines across all Maricopa County — which includes Phoenix, the state’s largest metropolitan area — but in census tracts with a large Latinx population, the average wait time at the closest voting centers was more than four hours.10 Average wait times across the county, FACT comparably, were about half of that. Latinx communities also face an outsized risk of dying from a firearms homicide compared to their white counterparts. Nationwide CDC data shows a Hispanic individual is about twice as likely to be the victim of a gun homicide than a white person.11 This data is borne out even further in states like California, where over a span of 17 years more than 16,600 Latinx individuals were killed due to gun violence. 45% of those victims were between the ages of 10 to 24.12 This fear is particularly acute in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida, where a majority of the victims were of Puerto Rican descent.13

ACCESSING DEMOCRACY: A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ISSUE 7 VOTE-BY-MAIL AND ABSENTEE VOTING

In the 2016 election, about 24% of the American voting mayors, attorneys general, secretaries of state, city and population did not physically visit a voting booth to county councils, and state and local courts to make cast a ballot,14 instead relying on absentee and mail- the necessary changes ensuring that vote-by-mail in voting to participate in the democratic system from and programs can be accessed by the home. While historically under-utilized across many broadest possible swath of the population. Some states, states, many citizens use the vote-by-mail system to aware that the November election is rapidly getting alleviate the barriers associated with illness, disability, closer, are already making these vital preparations; occupation, childcare obligations, transportation the New Hampshire Secretary of State and Attorney challenges, or travel; others cast their votes remotely General recently co-authored a memo clarifying that simply because doing so is convenient. No matter the the coronavirus may be used as a valid excuse to obtain reason, voting by mail has proven to be just as secure an absentee ballot in this year’s primary and general as in-person voting, increases , and has the election. In their memo, they made a simple, powerful added benefit of easing wait times at polling locations. statement: “Voters should not have to choose between Perhaps most importantly, though, this voting method their health and exercising their constitutional right to is an essential tool for those with an illness or disability vote.”15 We agree. that prevents them from accessing in-person polling places. On May 5, a coalition of concerned organizations, academics, medical professionals, and private Voting by mail or by absentee ballot will be more individuals echoed this sentiment in a letter to Congress, important than ever in 2020. Our knowledge about how emphasizing that voting is not just a constitutional right, the coronavirus spreads across communities obligates but a “hallowed obligation[] and privilege[]” that citizens us to ensure that every American feels safe to cast a should not be forced to give up over health concerns.16 ballot in order to protect our democracy. That decision In Wisconsin, the in-person primary resulted in at least will look different for every individual, but offering a 40 potential coronavirus cases in Milwaukee County comprehensive program by which individuals can alone.17 We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg easily request, complete, and return a mail-in ballot is should there be no changes before November to allow critical for expanding voter turnout in November. These for a more expansive use of vote-by-mail. The Brennan reforms will require cooperation between governors, Center estimates that a comprehensive vote-by-mail program will cost between $982 million and $1.4 billion nationwide, making funding a top priority in the coming weeks and months. 18 Voters should not have to choose between their health and exercising WHAT TO CONSIDER their constitutional right to vote. Vote-by-mail is not, and should not, be regarded as a New Hampshire Secretary of State and Attorney General simple panacea. Certainly, mail-in voting can provide a critical access point for those who don’t feel safe

8 BRADYUNITED.ORG/DEMOCRACY voting at an in-person location, or due to physical, alternatives to in-person voting is important to a variety mental, or occupational limitations. However, not of diverse populations; voters must be provided with a everyone can readily access — or prefers to use — vote plethora of options for safely and securely casting their by mail. For instance, vote by mail is not a convenient ballots. option for certain communities, such as Native Americans, and individuals with certain disabilities who rely on in-person voting locations the most. Many accommodations for individuals with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities can only be found at in-person polling places, and requiring these individuals to vote at home is likely to result in their disenfranchisement.

We must recognize that current circumstances make expanding vote by mail policies absolutely critical, especially for individuals who cannot wait in long lines or risk exposure to the coronavirus. Protecting

VOTE-BY-MAIL AND ABSENTEE VOTING BY STATE

ACCESSING DEMOCRACY: A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ISSUE 9 ACTION CENTER VOTE-BY-MAIL & ABSENTEE VOTING

1. Advocate for a temporary or permanent change to state law permitting absentee voting without requiring an excuse. In states where laws mandate that voters provide an excuse to receive an absentee ballot, ask officials to add the coronavirus to the list of criteria to fulfill this requirement. Research your state to find the individual19 who has the authority to clarify that fear of the coronavirus constitutes an acceptable excuse, and ask them to act now.20

2. Ask election officials to temporarily or permanently remove burdensome requirements — like requiring the signature of a witness, notary or otherwise — that must be met for an absentee or mail-in ballot to be valid.

3. Implore election officials to expand options for requesting and returning mail-in or absentee ballots that are accessible to a variety of individuals. Ensure voters can request absentee ballots online, in-person, or via phone, email, or postal service. Ask officials to provide voters with postage-paid envelopes, to prevent socio-economic barriers to exercising this right, and to place plentiful and secure drop boxes in close vicinity of public transportation, especially in communities that have been historically marginalized or which lack access to ample in-person polling places.

4. Urge officials to develop a strategy to accommodate the expected increase of mail-in or absentee ballots. This strategy should include a plan for ensuring that everyone who requests an absentee ballot receives one early enough to ensure that filling out and returning the form before Election Day will not be a problem. This must also include arrangements for processing, sorting, and counting the absentee or mail-in ballots received without delay.

RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO RECOMMENDATIONS TO STATE INFRASTRUCTURE OFFICIALS FOR SUPPORTING POLICY IMPLEMENTATION: • Obtain pre-paid return envelopes for mail-in ballots. • Devise a plan to obtain and distribute secure ballot • Immediately clarify changes to state law and drop boxes with accompanying security, such as implement a comprehensive voter education and guards or cameras. awareness campaign to ensure all eligible voters • Develop a system by which voters can track their know their options for voting and can make an ballots and obtain e-reminders for key deadlines educated choice on how they will cast their ballot. through text or email. • Ensure that ballot sorters and counters are given a • Invest in sorting equipment, high speed ballot pay increase for serving during the pandemic. counters, and commercial space for processing.

10 BRADYUNITED.ORG/DEMOCRACY GOING FURTHER Vote-by-Mail and Marginalized Communities

Expanding vote-by-mail will help thousands, potentially millions, of eligible voters to exercise their right to vote safely, but it is not a simple solution for a problem as complex as the one that we face in 2020. A potent combination of decades of voter disenfranchisement paired with a global pandemic challenges us to do more with the resources that we have. We would be remiss, however, if we did not recognize that vote-by-mail and absentee voting carries with it major disadvantages for historically marginalized communities.

Black Americans, for example, traditionally rely on voting at in-person polling places. In the 2018 midterm elections, only an approximate 11% of Black voters cast ballots by mail,21 and this is not because the majority of Black Americans are unaware that this option exists. Instead, sporadic use of vote-by-mail by Black voters stems from historic mistrust of systems that have barred them from the political process for decades. A recent poll found that more than 40% of Black voters reported that they were worried their vote wouldn’t be counted if they vote by mail.22 Additionally, for a population that has faced consistent hurdles to their ability to vote, the appeal of showing up on Election Day comes from the heart: “There’s a very deep emotional connection to casting a ballot in person, to really be able to see and hold that receipt that your ballot was cast,” emphasizes Sabrina Stevens, Campaign Director for Color of Change PAC.23 For some Black Americans, voting by mail may prove to be unattainable because of the high rates of those experiencing homelessness or unstable housing.24

For those living with various disabilities, in-person voting may be a critical lifeline to protecting not just their ability to vote, but the secrecy and integrity of their ballot. Nearly 30% of the total electorate — over 62 million individuals — either has a disability or lives with someone who does.25 Voters living with disabilities span the spectrum of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, and region, but the unique services they may require to vote are vitally important to protect. While 29% of voters living with disabilities used a mail-in ballot to vote in 2016 compared to just 20% of those without,26 recent polling still shows that a majority — 58% — would still prefer to vote in-person.27 Voters across all identities hold a unique fondness for the act of casting a ballot in person, but for others it is an absolute necessity. Voting centers are home to resources for those who need assistance to cast a ballot, particularly the vision-impaired or those with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities who require accommodations by a trained poll worker. Eliminating access to these resources would have the unintended consequence of disenfranchising individuals who rely on these systems to be able to privately cast a confidential ballot each election. EARLY VOTING Early voting increases participation in the democratic As previously alluded to, the upcoming election process by simply increasing the amount of time — and, will be uniquely dangerous to participate in, not to accordingly, opportunity — for that participation to mention challenging to execute, due to the coronavirus occur, which helps alleviate issues such as long lines pandemic, and it is therefore imperative that additional and restrictive voter work schedules. safeguards be put in place to protect the health of voters and election workers. Early in-person voting, which WHAT TO CONSIDER allows voters to cast their ballots in the weeks leading up to Election Day, is one way to ensure that each Early in-person voting remains a necessary resource, American voter can safely participate in the democratic even as absentee voting becomes increasingly process. available. Research shows that early voting is one way to address the systemic barriers racial minorities often The positive impact of alternative forms of voting experience as voters.30 History and data have shown extends to Americans across race, ability, and that southern, Black Americans have primarily relied on socioeconomic status. Early voting allows for voters early in-person voting more than absentee and election with full-time jobs, childcare needs, and disabilities day voting.31 Early voting provides voters flexibility in to participate at times not limited to election day — a choosing when they will vote and helps ensure that fact widely recognized by voting rights advocates.28 people with scheduling conflicts on Election Day can The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) notes access the ballot box. Weekend early voting, especially that long election day lines can dissuade voters with on Sundays, helps ensure that Americans who work can disabilities or time restrictions, especially if the choice still participate and empowers churches within Black is between their job and exercising their right to vote.29 communities to lead Sunday “souls to the polls” voting drives.32 EARLY VOTING BY STATE

12 BRADYUNITED.ORG/DEMOCRACY ACTION CENTER EARLY VOTING

1. Advocate for a statewide policy providing for comprehensive early voting, if such policies do not currently exist.

2. Encourage the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves, and sanitized writing instruments to poll workers and in-person voters during Election Day and the early voting period.

3. Lobby elected officials to increase the number of polling locations available for early voting and Election Day voting. This would decrease wait times, which have deterred voter participation in the past, and help ensure that everyone present practices effective social distancing.

4. Remain vigilant and monitor legislative initiatives that seek to reverse policies intended to increase early in-person voting and vote-by-mail. In states with early in-person voting, advocate for expanding the number of early voting days.

RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO RECOMMENDATIONS TO STATE INFRASTRUCTURE OFFICIALS FOR SUPPORTING POLICY IMPLEMENTATION: • Purchase personal protective equipment based on the needs of each polling location, such as the • Identify the number of polling places designated number of poll workers deemed necessary and the for early and in-person voting. This should inform volume of voters expected. the amount of PPE required based on expected • Devise a plan which analyzes population densities voter numbers and population. Funding should be to identify the locations most appropriate for hosting earmarked for purchasing this equipment. newly-designated early voting locations. • Develop a plan that identifies which communities • Provide a transparent process allowing residents are most in need of increased access to early to learn more about a change to early voting policy voting and provide an adequate number of polling and solicit public opinions about proposed changes. locations to meet those needs. Identify also the • Advocate for policy change such that early voting is number of additional poll workers required to available for no fewer than 20 days. support new polling locations and earmark funds to compensate them.

ACCESSING DEMOCRACY: A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ISSUE 13 GOING FURTHER Guns at Polling Places

While systemic structural barriers still exist to voting in the United States, the presence of firearms can pose another unique obstacle for citizens attempting to vote at in-person polling locations. The presence of firearms during the exercise of another Constitutional right can serve as a means of intimidation, whether intended or not, particularly in a nation where 58% of American adults report that they or someone they care for has been impacted by gun violence.33 In 2016, then-candidate Donald Trump encouraged crowds of mostly-white supporters to “watch other communities” on Election Day.34 This thinly-veiled commandment for white citizens to patrol and monitor the demo- cratic actions of fellow Americans came on the heels of decades of voter intimidation, harassment, threats, and disenfranchisement known all too well by people of color in this country.

There is currently no federal law prohibiting the presence of firearms at polling sites. Instead, regulation is left to the states, a large majority of which allow guns to be carried in and around a polling place. Data from a 2016 campaign from Guns Down showed that in less than 12 hours, voters in 28 states had reported sightings of firearms at polling locations. For many gun violence survivors, the potential of coming into contact with a firearm poses a substantial threat to their emotional and physical well-being during voting. One Virginia voter expressed that she “felt intimidated” by an armed man outside her polling station in 2016; “I had to explain to my nine-year-old son why a man with a .357 Magnum is standing outside the polling station,” she said.35

Gun violence has shaped the voting process in uniquely terrifying and tangible ways. In 2016, multiple polling places in the Los Angeles area were put on lockdown and closed after a shooting with an assault weapon killed one person and injured three others outside.36 Firearms have increasingly been brandished at protests to intimidate and silence their opposition,37 and the mere presence of firearms at polling places will continue to be a threat as we move into 2020 and beyond.

Unfortunately, the threat of violence is not restricted to the armed layperson. In recent months, the tension between law enforcement and marginalized communities, often impacted by tactics, has increased. There is a history of over-policing in communities of color, and the presence of law enforcement at polling locations could act as a deterrent, especially in our current climate. For example, local law enforcement watched Georgia voters in a predominantly Black neighborhood for over five hours after the polls had closed.38 Activists have an opportunity to advocate for polling locations to feel safe for all members of their community. This includes reassessing polling locations within or adjacent to police stations, which may discourage Black and Latinx voters concerned with being stopped and accosted by law enforcement on Election Day.39 Now more than ever, elected officials need to evaluate the usefulness of deploying armed law enforcement at polling locations. VOTER REGISTRATION

In order to vote — to access one of the most the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV); at targeted fundamental rights of U.S. citizens — almost every voter registration events; through “Get Out the Vote” state requires individuals to take an affirmative step: efforts in neighborhoods; or via door-knocking. Most, registration. The United States stands alone as the if not all, of these services are being curtailed or only major global democracy that “requires individual completely eliminated in the run-up to the November citizens to shoulder the onus of registering to vote election due to the risks of transmitting the coronavirus (and re-registering when they move).”40 This system, through human contact. by its very nature, prevents tens of millions of eligible voters from being able to exercise their right to vote. WHAT TO CONSIDER Some states have taken steps to dramatically ease this It is vitally important to ensure that there are thoughtful individual burden by modernizing their voter registration alternatives to in-person voter registration methods, systems and harnessing available technology to particularly when social distancing measures are reach marginalized communities, thereby bringing recommended to prevent the unintended spread of the underrepresented populations into the democratic coronavirus. Online voter registration is an effective process. This undertaking can happen in a multitude option for ensuring Americans can register safely and of ways, but this toolkit focuses specifically on how efficiently during a public health crisis. In 2016, online to make voter registration more accessible through registration accounted for 17% of all voter registrations,41 technology and same-day registration mechanisms, as proving not only that citizens will use the process well as what particular considerations must take place when available, but also that it can be implemented given the current pandemic. in a secure way that protects sensitive information. In 12 states, however, individuals still cannot register to The questions of how, where, and when eligible voters vote online.42 In a nation where upwards of a million are able to register has come into stronger focus this people are prevented from engaging in their civic year, when it will undoubtedly be more difficult to responsibility because of outdated and archaic voter access systems that have been relied on for decades not registration systems,43 we must ensure that the process only to register voters, but also to bolster voter turnout, of registering is clear, easy to follow, and accessible particularly among underrepresented demographics for all. By updating these systems to include a more like communities of color and youth. Voter registration online-focused registration process, states have the typically takes place at government agencies, such as simultaneous opportunity to ensure that more voters are included in the democratic process while also substantially decreasing the costs of labor, printing, The United States stands alone as processing of forms, and postage.44 the only major global democracy that “requires individual citizens to Sometimes, even when a citizen has registered, their shoulder the onus of registering to registration can be invalidated,45 or even purged.46 vote (and re-registering when they “Purging” occurs when a state “cleans up” its list of move). registered voters to ensure that individuals who have died or are no longer eligible cease to be listed on the

ACCESSING DEMOCRACY: A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ISSUE 15 voter rolls, a process which has not only been misused, new address simply miss the deadline through no fault but frequently results in eligible voters — especially of their own. Notably, same-day registration does not those from communities of color — becoming wrongfully unfairly favor voters on one side of the political aisle disenfranchised. A change of residence may also over the other;49 it is a non-partisan attempt to ensure hamper the ability to process a registration before the that all enthusiastic voters are able to cast a ballot when deadline for an upcoming election. In these cases, some they arrive at their polling place, whether they forgot form of same-day registration is absolutely essential to the deadline, moved to town three days ago, or were ensure that every American who wishes to cast a ballot unfairly targeted by a voter purge. Research suggests on Election Day can do so. that same-day voter registration can boost turnout by an average of approximately five percent50 — something Same-day registration is a simple policy with myriad that Americans of all political parties should support. benefits beyond assisting those who have been targeted by voter purges. For young voters, newly- The strength of our democracy relies on voter turnout, minted citizens, those who have recently changed voter engagement, and participation in political systems addresses, or simply those with busy lives, same-day from the local through federal level. By ensuring that registration offers a critical backstop that enables any voter registration moves fully into the 21st century and eligible voter to cast a ballot on Election Day.47 In some that voters have the opportunity to register at new states, deadlines for voter registration can be as far as polling locations up until — and on — Election Day, we 30 days from Election Day itself,48 meaning that many take a step toward protecting democracy for all. citizens who intended to register in a new state or at a

VOTER REGISTRATION BY STATE

16 BRADYUNITED.ORG/DEMOCRACY ACTION CENTER VOTER REGISTRATION

1. Call on your elected leaders to adopt same-day voter registration during early voting and on Election Day, and establish procedures for processing same-day voter registration. Advocate for election officials to — at a minimum — extend voter registration deadlines to account for potential difficulties that may arise due to the coronavirus crisis overloading the system.

2. Urge your state election officials to develop, fund, and launch a system for voters to complete their voter registration application online.

RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO RECOMMENDATIONS TO STATE INFRASTRUCTURE OFFICIALS FOR SUPPORTING POLICY IMPLEMENTATION: • Ensure that websites and any corresponding applications involved in online voter registration are • Support and launch voter education and information properly secure and free from vulnerabilities that campaigns that publicly announce important could result in the theft of sensitive user data. deadlines for voter registration and the ways in which voters can register or check their registration in a safe and accessible manner.

ACCESSING DEMOCRACY: A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ISSUE 17 RESTORATION OF VOTING RIGHTS

The right to vote is occasionally framed as a privilege, WHAT TO CONSIDER but voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. For individuals with a felony record, there are many Because Black communities are disproportionately barriers standing in the way of the restoration of their impacted by the carceral state, policies created voting rights. For instance, it is estimated that 4.5 to disenfranchise the formerly incarcerated often million citizens are denied the right to vote because disenfranchise Black citizens. These missing voices of a past criminal record.51 Based on recent data, voter are particularly important within the gun violence disenfranchisement based on a previous criminal record prevention movement. According to the Pew Research includes one in thirteen, or roughly 2.2 million, Black Center, 57% of Black respondents know someone Americans.52 who has been shot — in comparison to 43% of white respondents57 — and members of their community are Mass incarceration and the disenfranchisement that often unrepresented by those in office. follows is hard to disentangle from the efforts to solidify civil rights for Black Americans.53 This is particularly As activists advocating for the restoration of voting important because of the disproportionate incarceration rights to individuals previously stripped of this right, it of Black citizens. According to the Pew Research is imperative to separate out the right to vote from that Center, Black people accounted for only 12% of the adult of owning a firearm. In 2016, Virginia governor Terry population, but 33% of those incarcerated in 2017.54 Data McAuliffe unintentionally removed barriers previously from the Brennan Center indicates that approximately prohibiting individuals with felony records from being one in 13 Black Americans were ineligible to vote, which able to legally purchase a firearm.58 Activists should is a rate four times higher than non-Black Americans.55 ensure their elected officials are aware of how the restoration of voting rights and restoration of gun rights The data highlights an issue Black communities, voting overlap to avoid unintended consequences that could rights advocates, and racial justice activists have known further endanger communities. for quite some time: the communities most in need of social policy reform are those that experience the Despite past missteps, it is imperative that we as gun highest rates of disenfranchisement due to strict state violence prevention advocates support and protect the laws preventing those with certain criminal records from voting. This is purposeful. Per the American Civil Liberties Union, Mass incarceration and the “Silencing the voices of people with convictions disenfranchisement that follows is weakens the democratic system of government. … hard to disentangle from the efforts When formerly incarcerated people can't vote, all of us to solidify civil rights for Black miss out on the perspectives and experiences they can Americans. offer our country's political conversation.”56

18 BRADYUNITED.ORG/DEMOCRACY voting restoration process. The inclusion of previously incarcerated individuals who are often from the communities most impacted by gun violence allows for a broader coalition of voters invested in reducing gun violence. Finally, the restoration of voting rights for all formerly incarcerated citizens would move the country one step closer to abolishing second-class citizenship.

VOTER DISENFRANCHISEMENT BY STATE

ACCESSING DEMOCRACY: A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ISSUE 19 ACTION CENTER RESTORATION OF VOTING RIGHTS

Restoration of voting rights is a complex issue that is challenging to address on a local level. However, there are opportunities to steward long-term change which may diminish that challenge.

1. Review state policy on voting restoration and who is eligible for restoration, which includes understanding how to interpret eligibility in “Get Out the Vote” efforts often held during an election year.

2. Advocate for statewide policy change. Only two states have no restrictions on voting rights (Maine and Vermont). In all other states gun violence prevention advocates could push state legislators to adopt more progressive restoration policies. For example, policy reformation could include automatic restoration of voting rights post-release, similar to a policy adopted by Rhode Island in 2006.59

RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO RECOMMENDATIONS TO STATE INFRASTRUCTURE OFFICIALS FOR SUPPORTING POLICY IMPLEMENTATION: • Accessibility to information on voting restoration policies on city government websites and at the • Change state policy to lessen restrictions on time of release. eligibility for voter restoration; including removing fees and fines as a barrier to reinstating one’s right to vote. • Require education campaigns on voting restoration to be provided at the time of release for local and state penal institutions.

20 BRADYUNITED.ORG/DEMOCRACY GOING FURTHER Restoration of Voter Rights

Our country holds up the 15th Amendment as an indication of our commitment to moving towards an increasingly equitable society, one built on the belief that every American citizen is allowed equal access to our democracy regardless of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” However, we fail to mention the swift backlash to our symbolic victory over long-standing oppression. In the years following the inclusion of the 15th Amendment, states across the country moved to create laws that criminalized blackness and ensured those crimes would render a person convicted of them ineligible to vote.60 This was not an unintended consequence, or a result of bad policymaking; it was the point.

A recent radio interview of Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., more commonly known as Snoop Dogg, highlights the impact of misinformation on individuals with a criminal justice history. The West Coast artist spoke candidly about his desire to vote for a leader who represents his values and admitted that the 2020 election would be his first time at the ballot box, offering this explanation: “For many years they had me brainwashed thinking that you couldn’t vote cause you had a criminal record ... My record’s been expunged, so now I can vote.”61 Snoop Dogg, a California resident with no prior felony convictions, forfeited his right to vote for years because of how past criminal activity is tied to revocation of voting rights. It is time to invest in efforts to clarify eligibility to the electorate and educate them about the restoration of voting rights.

In recent years, some states have taken steps to change the harmful policies crafted to disenfranchise voters, primarily those who are Black. In May, prior to Florida lifting its requirement that all fines and fees be paid before a person could cast a vote, formerly incarcerated individuals with a felony record were facing coronavirus pandemic-related challenges accessing the court system to amend their sentence and restore their voting rights.62 The decision to lift this requirement has been celebrated. However, this was an unnecessary burden placed on the formerly incarcerated to hobble a 2018 amendment that Florida voters passed to restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated individuals.63 Restoring the right to vote is a racial justice issue and a moral imperative. CONCLUSION

This year, Americans will be casting ballots in a highly anticipated and divisive election where legislators, campaigns, and grassroots organizations are hoping to harness the collective power of their constituencies. At the same time, the pageantry of politics we’re accustomed to during an election year — debates, campaigning, and “Get Out The Vote” efforts — is changing before our very eyes. The tragic and dramatic upheaval of social and cultural institutions experienced by people from coast to coast as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and growing public attention to police violence Black and Latinx people cannot be overstated. By embracing the diversity and wisdom of activists across several generations, the gun violence prevention movement in recent years has taken important — and needed — steps to recognize the disproportionate impact of the gun violence crisis on Black and Latinx communities.

Together, medical professionals caring for the most critical coronavirus patients and protestors marching for a better, safer country for all citizens have made clear that our apathy will lead to our downfall. We must heed their calls, but we are under no illusions that this will be a simple task. Nor will this be fast. Black Americans, Latinx citizens, those with disabilities, and the youth demographic have been systematically pushed to the margins of the democratic process, if not purposefully excluded altogether. Decades of disenfranchisement will not be overcome in a matter of months, and breaking down systemic barriers to voting access at a time when a groundswell of voices are once again rising up against the institutional racism within so many of our systems reminds us that the moral arc toward progress in our nation is too frequently measured in inches, not feet.

To bring about effective policy change in gun violence, police violence, and voting rights, we must have representatives at the local, state, and federal level that are elected by, and responsive to, the will of the people. For so many citizens who have been denied access to fair and safe elections due to economic barriers, burdensome new laws, a prior conviction, voter purges, inaccessible polling locations, or a host of other reasons, the notion that we can simply vote our way into radical change feels implausible and out of touch. Many are disillusioned after years of looking in from the outside, and even more are feeling hopeless after participating in the process but feeling like nothing has changed. These stories are common, and dismissing them fails to recognize the heart of the problem. This is why each and every election is so critical, and why this year there is so much work to be done.

From massive overhauls of absentee voter systems, to institutional changes of how we think about who can vote and how they exercise that right, to highly specific adjustments in polling place behavior to ensure that everyone can cast a ballot safely during a global pandemic, we hope that this toolkit provides activists and advocates across the country with the resources they need to get to work at all levels of governance and ensure a more equitable and accessible democratic process for every American citizen. We further hope that you feel as inspired as we did by the words of Stacey Abrams, former gubernatorial candidate in the state of Georgia, who said in a recent op-ed that “voting is a first step in a long and complex process, tedious but vital. … Voting is an act of faith. It is profound. In a democracy, it is the ultimate power.”64

22 BRADYUNITED.ORG/DEMOCRACY

WORKS CITED 12. Daniel A. Smith, “When Florida Rolled Back Early Voting, Minorities Were Especially Affected,” Scholars Strategy Network, March 3, 2014, available at 1. For those who are interested in learning more about long-term https://scholars.org/contribution/when-florida-rolled-back-early-voting-mi- structural reforms surrounding purging voter rolls, voter ID laws, norities-were-especially-affected. restoring the Voting Rights Act, redistricting, election security, and reform, we recommend the following report: 13. Chip Mithcel, “Chicago Dismal Murder Solve Rate Even Worse When Dominique Erney, Daniel I. Weiner, Wendy R. Weiner, “The Case for Victims Are Black,” NPR, October 9, 2019, available at https://www.npr.org/ H.R. 1,” Brennan Center for Justice, April 6, 2020, available at https:// local/309/2019/10/09/768552458/chicago-s-dismal-murder-solve-rate-even- www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/case-hr. worse-when-victims-are-black.

2. Edgardo Cortés, Elizabeth Howard, Lawrence Norden, Gowri 14. U.S. Election Assistance Commission, “EAVS Deep Dive: Early, Absentee, Ramachandran, Derek Tisler, “Estimated Costs of Covid-19 Election and Mail Voting,” U.S. Election Assistance Commission, October 17, 2017, Resiliency Measures,” Brennan Center for Justice, March 19, 2020, available at https://www.eac.gov/documents/2017/10/17/eavs-deep-dive-ear- available at https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-re- ly-absentee-and-mail-voting-data-statutory-overview. ports/estimated-costs-covid-19-election-resiliency-measures. 15. Office of the Secretary of State, New Hampshire “Elections Operations 3. Robin Toner, “Mothers Rally to Assail Gun Violence,” The New During the State of Emergency,” Office of the Secretary of State, New York Times, May 15, 2000, available at https://www.nytimes. Hampshire, April 10, 2020, available at https://www.doj.nh.gov/docu- com/2000/05/15/us/mothers-rally-to-assail-gun-violence.html. ments/20200410-absentee-voting-covid19.pdf#page=4.

4. Giffords, “Universal Background Checks,” Giffords, available at 16. Sign-on Letter to Members of United States Senate and House of Repre- https://giffords.org/issue/background-checks/. sentatives, Center for American Progress, May 5, 2020, available at https:// cdn.americanprogress.org/content/uploads/2020/05/05061221/21Democra- 5. Karina Schroeder, “How Systemic Racism Keeps Millions of cyTeam_finalmailvotingandcovid19.pdf. Black People from Voting,” Vera Institute of Justice, February 16, 2018, available at https://www.vera.org/blog/how-systemic-racism- 17. Teran Powell, “40 Coronavirus Cases In Milwaukee County Linked to keeps-millions-of-black-people-from-voting. Wisconsin Election, Health Officials Say,” WUMN, April 24, 2020, available at https://www.wuwm.com/post/40-coronavirus-cases-milwaukee-coun- 6. Christopher Famighetti, “Long Voting Lines Explained,” Brennan ty-linked-wisconsin-election-health-official-says#stream/0. Center for Justice, November 4, 2016, available at https://www. brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/long-voting-lines- 18. Edgardo Cortés, Elizabeth Howard, Lawrence Norden, Gowri Ramachan- explained and Letter from Greg Stanton, Mayor, City of Phoe- dran, Derek Tisler, “Estimated Costs of Covid-19 Election Resiliency Measures,” nix, AZ, to the Honorable Loretta Lynch, Attorney General, “Re: Brennan Center for Justice, March 19, 2020, available at https://www.brennan- Request for U.S. Department of Justice Investigation Into Disparate center.org/our-work/research-reports/estimated-costs-covid-19-election-re- Distribution of Polling Locations in Maricopa County,” March 23, siliency-measures. 2016, available at https://www.phoenix.gov/mayorsite/Documents/ Mayor%20Greg%20Stanton%20Letter%20to%20DOJ.pdf 19. Depending on your state, your Governor, State Election Commission, Sec- retary of State, Attorney General, or City Council may be appropriate targets 7. Examining CDC data for the last 5 years it is available (2013- for this action. 2018), 20,439 non-hispanic white individuals were killed in the United States by homicide or legal intervention with a firearm, for 20. Max Feldman, Eliza Sweren-Becker, Wendy R. Weiser, “Covid-19 Should a rate of 1.69. This is compared to approximately 12,855 Hispanic Be a Legitimate ‘Excuse’ to Vote by Mail,” Brennan Center for Justice, April 20, individuals who were killed in the same way and over the same 2020, available at https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/ time period, where the rate is 3.76. covid-19-should-be-legitimate-excuse-vote-mail.

8. Sally Martinelli, “Nearly 17,000 Hispanics/Latinos Killed with 21. “In Expanding Vote by Mail, States Must Maintain In-Person Options Guns in California Since 1999, New Study Reports,” Violence Policy During the Coronavirus Pandemic.” Center, February 21, 2019, available at https://www.prnewswire. com/news-releases/nearly-17-000-hispanics-latinos-killed-with- 22. Black PAC, “Poll: BlackPAC Survey Shows Black Voters Think Neighbors guns-in-california-since-1999-new-study-reports-833822335.html. Are Handling COVID-19 Better Than Trump,” Black PAC, April 14, 2020, avail- able at https://blackpac.com/poll-blackpac-survey-shows-black-voters-think- 9. Rafael Bernal, “Hispanic Voters Push Campaign to Address Gun neighbors-are-handling-covid-19-better-than-trump/. Violence,” The Hill, October 3, 2019, available at https://thehill.com/ latino/464143-hispanic-voters-push-campaigns-to-address-gun-vi- 23. Bridget Bowman, “‘A Game-Changer:’ Pandemic Forces Shift in Black olence. Voter Outreach,” Roll Call, May 21, 2020, available at https://www.rollcall. com/2020/05/21/a-game-changer-pandemic-forces-shift-in-black-voter-out- 10. Sarah Favot, “Homicides of Young Latino Men Twice as Likely reach/. to Go Unsolved in LA County, Analysis Shows,” Los Angeles Daily News, January 23, 2015, available at https://www.dailynews. 24. African Americans account for nearly 40% of those categorized as expe- com/2015/01/23/homicides-of-young-latino-men-twice-as-likely- riencing homelessness according to statistics from the U.S. Department of to-go-unsolved-in-la-county-analysis-shows/ and Washington Housing and Urban Development. Rebecca Cokley, Danielle Root, Danyelle Post Investigative Team, “Murder with Impunity,” The Washington Solomon, “In Expanding Vote by Mail, States Must Maintain In-Person Options Post, January 7, 2019, available at https://www.washingtonpost. During the Coronavirus Pandemic,” The Center for American Progress, April com/graphics/2018/national/murder-with-impunity/?itid=lk_in- 20, 2020, available at https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/democracy/ line_manual_15. news/2020/04/20/483438/expanding-vote-mail-states-must-maintain-per- son-voting-options-coronavirus-pandemic/. 11. Zoltan L. Hajnal, Nazita Lajevardi, Lindsay Nielson, “Do Voter Identification Laws Suppress Minority Voting? Yes. We Did the 25. Lisa Schur and Douglas Kruse, “Presentation for ‘Protecting the Right to Research,” The Washington Post, February 15, 2017, available Vote for People with Disabilities’ Webinar,” May 21, 2020, part of “Disability at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/ Voting Rights Virtual Town Hall” hosted by the Leadership Conference on Civil wp/2017/02/15/do-voter-identification-laws-suppress-minority-vot- & Human Rights, available at https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=6976 ing-yes-we-did-the-research/. 70991048932&ref=watch_permalink.

ACCESSING DEMOCRACY: A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ISSUE 23

26. Ibid. rus-pandemic/.

27. Ibid. 43. Ibid.

28. “The Case for H.R. 1.” 44. Vote.org, “Modernizing Voter Registration is an Easy Call for Cost Savings,” Voter.org, November 2, 2017, available at https://www.vote.org/blog/modern- 29. ACLU, “Early Voting,” ACLU, available at https://www.aclu.org/issues/vot- izing-voter-registration-is-an-easy-call-for-cost-savings/. ing-rights/early-voting. 45. A 2012 report found that one out of every eight (about 24 million) voter 30. Emily Badger, “Why Early Voting is About So Much More Than Conve- registrations were no longer valid, or significantly inaccurate. The Pew Center nience,” The Washington Post, September 30, 2014, available at https://www. on the States, “Inaccurate, Costly, and Inefficient: Evidence That America’s washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/09/30/why-early-voting-is-about- Voter Registration System Needs an Upgrade,” The Pew Center on the States, so-much-more-than-convenience/. February 2012, available at https://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/legacy/up- loadedfiles/pcs_assets/2012/pewupgradingvoterregistrationpdf.pdf. 31. Paul Gronke and Charles Steward III, “Early Voting in Florida,” MIT Political Science Department Research Paper No. 2013-2012, April 8, 2013, available at 46. Kevin Morris, Myrna Perez, Jonathan Brater, Christopher Deluzio, “Purges: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2247144. A Growing Threat to the Right to Vote,” July 20, 2018, available at https://www. brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/purges-growing-threat-right- 32. “Why Early Voting is About So Much More Than Convenience.” vote.

33. Survey USA, “Results of SurveyUSA Mkt Research Study #24554”, Survey 47. Brian Miller, Miles Rapoport, “Same-day registration: A simple solution USA, December 11, 2018, available at http://www.surveyusa.com/client/Poll- to protect voter rights,” The Hill, May 6, 2019, available at https://thehill.com/ Report.aspx?g=4a9eed40-c8b0-419c-ae82-71e1dbd19ca0&c=254. opinion/campaign/442224-same-day-registration-a-simple-solution-to-pro- tect-voter-rights. 34. Tierney Sneed, “Is Trump Urging His Gun-Toting Supporters To Break Voter Intimidation Laws?,” Talking Points Memo, October 18, 2016, available at 48. Ibid. https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/is-trump-urging-his-gun-toting-support- ers-to-break-voter-intimidation-laws. 49. Walter Shapiro, “Election Day Registration Could Cut Through Many of the Arguments in the Voting Wars,” Brennan Center for Justice, October 16, 2018, 35. Gaby Del Valle, “Armed Trump Supporter Who ‘Intimidated’ Virginia Voter available at https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/elec- Is Allowed To Carry Weapon, Officials Say,” gothamist, November 6, 2016, tion-day-registration-could-cut-through-many-arguments-voting-wars. available at https://gothamist.com/news/armed-trump-supporter-who-intimi- dated-virginia-voter-is-allowed-to-carry-weapon-officials-say. 50. “The Case for H.R. 1.”

36. Ruby Gonzales, Scott Schwebke, Tony Saavedra, “Azusa Shooter Was a 51. Ibid. ‘Gun Fanatic,’ Binged on Cocaine Before Rampage,” San Gabriel Valley Tri- bune, November 8, 2016, available at https://www.sgvtribune.com/2016/11/08/ 52. Jeffery Robinson, “The Racist Roots of Denying Incarcerated People Their azusa-shooter-was-a-gun-fanatic-binged-on-cocaine-before-rampage/. Right to Vote,” American Civil Liberties Union, May 3, 2019, available at https:// www.aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/racist-roots-denying-incarcerated-peo- 37. Ivan Pereira, “Thousands of Armed Protesters Turn Out For Trump-Sup- ple-their-right-vote. ported Gun Rally,” ABCNEWS, January 20, 2020, available at https://abcnews. go.com/US/authorities-brace-massive-gun-rights-rally-richmond-virginia/ 53. Austin Sarat, “Stripping Voting Rights From Felons Is About Politics, Not story?id=68328504 and Sam Stanton and Dale Kasler, “Unarmed Militia One Punishment,” The Conversation, June 4, 2020, available at https://theconver- of Many Groups Protesting California Coronavirus Order at Capitol,” The Sac- sation.com/stripping-voting-rights-from-felons-is-about-politics-not-punish- ramento Bee, May 9, 2020, available at https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/ ment-139651. crime/article242622151.html. 54. John Gramlich, “The Gap Between the Number of Blacks and Whites in 38. Jerry Lambe, “Police Were Called on Predominantly Black Voters Waiting Prison Is Shrinking,” The Pew Research Center, April 30, 2019, available at to Cast Ballots After Midnight in Georgia,” Law & Crime, June 10, 2020, avail- https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/30/shrinking-gap-between- able at https://lawandcrime.com/2020-election/police-were-called-on-pre- number-of-blacks-and-whites-in-prison/. dominantly-black-voters-waiting-to-cast-ballots-after-midnight-in-georgia/. 55. “The Case for H.R. 1.” 39. Sam Levine, “Georgia City Under Fire For Moving Polling Loca- tion To Police Station,” The Huffington Post, October 9, 2019, available 56. Brittany Stonesifer, “Our Democracy Needs Everyone, Including People On at https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jonesboro-georgia-polling-loca- Parole,” American Civil Liberties Union, August 16, 2019, available at https:// tion_n_5d9e0979e4b06ddfc51272f0?guccounter=1. www.aclusocal.org/en/news/our-democracy-needs-everyone-including-peo- ple-parole. 40. “The Case for H.R. 1.” 57. Kim Parker, et al., “America’s Complex Relationship With Guns,” The Pew 41. U.S. Election Assistance Commission, “Newly Released 2016 Election Research Center, June 22, 2017, available at https://www.pewsocialtrends. Administration and Voting Survey Provides Snapshot of Nation’s Voter org/2017/06/22/americas-complex-relationship-with-guns/. Turnout Registration Trends Voting Systems,” U.S. Election Assistance Commission, available at https://www.eac.gov/news/2017/06/29/newly-re- 58. Jenna Portnoy, “In Virginia, Felon Voting Rights Mean Simpler Path to Gun leased-2016-election-administration-and-voting-survey-provides-snap- Ownership,” The Washington Post, May 20, 2016, available at https://www. shot-of-nations-voter-turnout-registration-trends-voting-systems-election-ad- washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/in-virginia-felon-voting-rights- ministration-and-voting-survey-eavs-data-media. mean-a-simpler-path-to-gun-ownership/2016/05/20/5980101e-1e92-11e6- 8c7b-6931e66333e7_story.html. 42. Rebecca Cokley, Danielle Root, Danyelle Solomon, “In Expanding Vote by Mail, States Must Maintain In-Person Options During the Coronavirus Pan- 59. Erika Wood, “Restoring the Right to Vote,” Brennan Center for Justice, May demic,” The Center for American Progress, April 20, 2020, available at https:// 11, 2009, available at https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-re- www.americanprogress.org/issues/democracy/news/2020/04/20/483438/ ports/restoring-right-vote. expanding-vote-mail-states-must-maintain-person-voting-options-coronavi-

24 BRADYUNITED.ORG/DEMOCRACY 60. “Stripping Voting Rights From Felons is About Politics, Not Punishment.”

61. Ishena Robinson, “Snoop Dogg Says He’s Voting for the First Time in 2020 to Get Trump Out,” The Root, June 7, 2020, available at https://www. theroot.com/snoop-dogg-says-hes-voting-for-the-first-time-in-2020-t- 1843943338?utm_campaign=TheRoot&utm_content=1591549067&utm_me- dium=SocialMarketing&utm_source=twitter.

62. Ivette Feliciana and Zachary Green, “Is COVID-19 Delaying the Fight for Voting Rights in Florida,” PBS, May 16, 2020, available at https://www.pbs.org/ newshour/show/is-covid-19-delaying-the-fight-for-voting-rights-in-florida.

63. Merrit Kennedy, “ACLU Sues Over Florida Laws that Requires Felons to Pay Fees, Fines Before Voting,” NPR, July 1, 2019, available at https://www.npr. org/2019/07/01/737668646/aclu-sues-over-florida-law-that-requires-felons- to-pay-fees-fines-before-voting.

64. Stacy Abrams, “Stacy Abrams: I know Voting Feels Inadequate Right Now,” The New York Times, June 4, 2020, available at https://www.nytimes. com/2020/06/04/opinion/stacey-abrams-voting-floyd-protests.html.

ACCESSING DEMOCRACY: A GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ISSUE 25 26 BRADYUNITED.ORG/DEMOCRACY