• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Democrats Abroad UK

Democrats Abroad UK

Are you a UK based American who wants to make a difference? Join us!

  • Voting From Abroad
  • Who We Are
    • Caucuses and Committees
      • Black Caucus
      • Political Book Club
      • Film Committee and Film Nights
      • Get Out The Vote & Voter Registration Committee
      • LGBTQ+ Caucus
      • Policy Network and Resolutions Committee
      • Tax Committee Events
      • Women’s Caucus
      • Young Democrats
    • Chapters and Regions
      • Cambridge Chapter
      • Oxford Chapter
      • Scotland Chapter
    • Elected Officials
  • Our Events
  • Get Involved
  • Contact Us
  • Visit DA Global ↗
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home/Who We Are/Caucuses and Committees/Film Committee and Film Nights/The Issues At Stake/The Issues at Stake: Who is funding voter suppression?

The Issues at Stake: Who is funding voter suppression?

Who is promoting and funding voter suppression?

The conservative The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has been an important driver in drafting  ‘model legislation’ that is widely adopted by Republican state legislators since 1973.  One of its aims was the tightening of Voter ID laws.  However, its power ‘behind the scenes’ has been disrupted.

“In July 2011, The Nation published a series of articles produced in collaboration with the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) that showcased some of the ALEC model bills and described ties to the Koch family, and CMD launched a website “ALEC Exposed” that documented more than 800 of ALEC’s model bills, the legislators and corporations that had helped to draft them, and the states that enacted them. The joint effort, and particularly its coverage of ALEC’s push for tough voter ID laws, prompted the advocacy group Color of Change to launch a public campaign to pressure corporations to withdraw their ALEC memberships.”  It remains a significant force in developing right-wing legislation on a wide range of issues, but is now subject to much more scrutiny.

Diallo, Amadou. “Who is funding voter suppression?“Aljazeera. February 12, 2106

Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program

The Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program, to ‘root out voter fraud,’ was created in 2005 by the controversial Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the man who also championed illegal ‘voter caging’ in his state. Up to 30 states have participated and over 7 million names are on these lists. The lists are supposed to include full names, last four digits of SS numbers and birth dates but in practice much of this data is missing, names on the list have included supposed double voters with different middle names and no other information.  Common names, like Brown, Jackson and Lee, tend to be also minority names so they are disproportionately affected.  Voters don’t know they’ve been thrown off the rolls until they show up at the polls; but if just a fraction of these people were disenfranchised, the outcome of many races in these states might have been different. It’s hard to know how many voters were affected in 2016 because states don’t have to release this information. 

Kobach now heads Trump’s Presidential Commission on Election Integrity.

There is a respected alternative to Crosscheck called the Electronic Registration Information Center – ERIC –  started by the PEW Charitable Trust, which is accurate, reliable and helps clean up voter registration rolls, boost turnout and save states money. ERIC is now used by 20 states.

See these articles on the operation of Interstate Crosscheck

Discover more

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Donate to Democrats Abroad

Footer

Join Democrats Abroad | Press Enquiries | Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2021 Democrats Abroad UK

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsRead MoreACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.