THE 2014 ELECTION PROTECTION REPORT DEMOCRACY SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD PRESENTED BY i DEMOCRACY SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD THE 2014 ELECTION PROTECTION REPORT: DEMOCRACY SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD Published February 2015 ELECTION PROTECTION Led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law 1401 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 662-8600 Toll Free: (888) 299-5227 Fax: (202) 783-0857 www.866OurVote.org /866OurVote @866OurVote www.lawyerscommittee.org /lawyerscommittee @lawyerscomm ©2015. This publication is covered by the Creative Commons “Attribution” license (see http://creativecommons.org). It may be reproduced in its entirety or modifi ed as long as the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is credited, a link to the license is included, and if changes were made to the original document, notifi cation that changes were made. NOTE: This report refl ects the views of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and does not necessarily refl ect the views of any other Election Protection partner ii or supporter. DEMOCRACY SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD About ELECTION PROTECTION The nonpartisan Election Protection coalition—led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law—was formed to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process. This coalition is made up of more than 100 local, state and national partners. Through our state of the art hotlines (1-866-OUR VOTE, administered by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, 1-888-API-VOTE, administered by Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC and Asian & Pacifi c Islander American Vote (APIAVote), and 1-888-Ve-Y-Vota, administered by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Offi cials Educational Fund); interactive website (www.866ourvote.org); and voter protection fi eld programs across the country, we provide Americans from coast to coast with comprehensive voter information and advice on how they can make sure their vote is counted. iii DEMOCRACY SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Author: Jennifer L. Patin Special thanks to members of the Lawyers’ Committee staff who contributed to the Report and Election Protection Program: Rahwa Andemichael, Nancy Anderson, Barbara Arnwine, Genevieve Bonadies, Rose Clouston, Brendan Downes, Brian Duggan, Chris Melody Fields, Maddy Finucane, Dr. Megan Gall, Arusha Gordon, Jon Greenbaum, Julie Houk, Marcia Johnson-Blanco, Bob Kengle, David Kuennen, Alan Martinson, Eileen O’Connor, Trevor Ostbye, Maria Peralta, Mark Posner, Dorian Spence, Nora Stephens, Alejandro Reyes, Ezra Rosenberg, Stacie Royster and Miriam Vishniac. Election Protection hotline administrators • Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law / 1-866-OUR-VOTE • National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Offi cials Educational Fund (NALEO) / 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA • Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC and Asian & Pacifi c Islander American Vote (APIAVote) / 1-888-API-VOTE iv DEMOCRACY SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD 2014 Election Protection Coalition Partners • The A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) • NAACP National Voter Fund • Advancement Project • National Bar Association (NBA) • AFL-CIO • National Black Law Students Association • Alliance for Justice (NBLSA) • American Association for Justice • National Coalition on Black Civic • American Association of University Participation Women Action Fund • National Coalition for the Homeless • American Bar Association (ABA) • National Council of Jewish Women • American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) • National Council of La Raza (NCLR) • American Federation of Teachers (AFT) • National Disability Rights Network • Asian American Legal Defense and (NDRN) Education Fund (AALDEF) • National Education Association (NEA) • Black Entertainment Television (BET) • National Urban League • Brennan Center for Justice • Native Vote • Bus Federation Civic Fund • New Organizing Institute (NOI) • Campaign Legal Center • New Voters Project • Center for Community Change • Nonprofi t VOTE • Color of Change • Overseas Vote Foundation • Common Cause • People for the American Way • Cuentame • ProgressNOW • Demos • Project Vote • Fair Elections Legal Network (FELN) • Rock the Vote • Hip Hop Caucus • Service Employees International Union • Hispanic National Bar Association (SEIU) • Human Rights Campaign • Sierra Club • Impact • State Voices • LatinoJustice PRLDEF • Leadership Conference Education Fund • League of United Latin American Citizens • Voter Participation Center (LULAC) • TurboVote • League of Young Voters Education Fund • U.S. PIRG • League of Women Voters • U.S. Vote Foundation • Long Distance Voter • United States Hispanic Leadership • Mexican American Legal Defense and Institute (USHLI) Educational Fund (MALDEF) • United States Student Association • Mi Familia Vota (USSA) • MomsRising • United Steelworkers (USW) International • National Action Network (NAN) • Verifi ed Voting Foundation • National Asian Pacifi c American Bar • Video the Vote Association (NAPABA) • VoteRiders • National Association for the • Voto Latino Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) • Women Donors Network • NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) v DEMOCRACY SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD 2014 Election Protection State and Local Organizations • ACLU of Arkansas • Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda • ACLU of California Voting Rights Project • Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and • ACLU of Florida Refugee Rights • ACLU of Pennsylvania • Illinois PIRG • ACLU of South Carolina • Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (ITCA) • ACLU of Wisconsin • J.L. Turner Legal Association • Arizona Advocacy Network • Just Vote Colorado • Bus Federation • Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and • Council on American-Islamic Relations Economic Justice of Greater Boston Chicago (CAIR) • Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the • California Common Cause San Francisco Bay Area • Central Reform Congregation • League of Women Voters of Ohio • Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil • League of Women Voters of Philadelphia Rights Under Law • League of Women Voters Minnesota • Chicago Votes • Michigan Election Coalition • Cleveland Branch of the NAACP • Milwaukee Area Labor Council • Colorado Common Cause • Minnesota Voice • Colorado Lawyers’ Committee • Montana Voices • Common Cause Illinois • Nebraskans for Civic Reform • Common Cause Michigan • New Virginia Majority • Common Cause Minnesota • Northeast Ohio Voter Advocates • Common Cause New Mexico • Ohio Voice • Common Cause New York • Pennsylvania Voice • Common Cause North Carolina • ProGeorgia • Common Cause Ohio • ProgressOhio • Common Cause Pennsylvania • Rocky Mountain PBS • Democracy North Carolina • South Carolina Progressive Network • Florida Coalition on Black Civic • Southern Coalition for Social Justice Participation • The Black Political Empowerment Project • Florida Institute for Reform and • Urban League of Philadelphia Empowerment • Virginia Civic Engagement Table • Florida New Majority • Virginia New Majority • Florida State Voices Civic Engagement • Wisconsin Voices Table • Wolverine Bar Association • Forward Montana • Georgia Association of Latino Elected Offi cials vi DEMOCRACY SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD A tremendous thank you to the following law fi rms, corporate legal departments and law schools for their support of Election Protection 2014: • Arent Fox LLP • Michigan Election Law Project, University • Arnold & Porter LLP of Michigan Law School • Ballard Spahr LLP • Miner, Barnhill & Galland, P.C. • Bingham McCutchen LLP • Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP • Blank Rome LLP • Morrison & Foerster LLP • BNY Mellon • Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP • Buchalter Nemer • Nixon Peabody LLP • Butt Thornton & Baehr PC • O’Melveny & Myers LLP • Butzel Long • Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliff e LLP • Carlton Fields Jorden Burt • Osborn Maledon, P. A. • Citigroup Inc. • Paul Hastings LLP • Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP • Paul, Weiss, Rifk ind, Wharton & Garrison • Cooley LLP LLP • Crowell & Moring LLP • Pepper Hamilton LLP • Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP • Proskauer Rose LLP • Davis Wright Tremaine LLP • Qualcomm Inc. • Dechert LLP • Reed Smith LLC • DLA Piper • Sedgwick LLP • Dorsey & Whitney LLP • Seyfarth Shaw LLP • Emory University School of Law • Shearman & Sterling LLP • Fenwick & West LLP • Sidley Austin LLP • Florida A&M University College of Law • Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP • Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson • Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP LLP • Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLC • Gibney, Anthony & Flaherty LLP • Sullivan & Cromwell LLP • Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher • Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP • Hogan Lovells • The Law Offi ce of Roger L. Weeden • Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP • The Sweetser Law Firm • Indian Legal Clinic, Sandra Day O’Connor • Troutman Sanders LLP College of Law, Arizona State University • University of Missouri-Kansas City • Jacobs Injury Law S.C. • University of North Carolina Center for • Jaff e Raitt Heuer & Weiss P.C. Civil Rights • K&L Gates LLP • University of North Carolina School of Law • Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP • Washington University in St. Louis • King & Spalding LLP • Wayne State University Law School • Kirkland & Ellis LLP • Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP • Latham & Watkins LLP • White Coleman & Associates LLC • Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP • William & Mary Law School • Mayer Brown LLP • Winston & Strawn LLP vii DEMOCRACY SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD viii DEMOCRACY SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD CONTENTS Executive Summary................................................................................................2