Hi All:
Sorry for any cross-posting but I thought the group might be interested in a research collection we recently put together on the issue of voting rights and free elections. Please check it out - it includes some incredible work from nonprofits across the country - http://www.issuelab.org With less than a month to go before the presidential election the public's attention is squarely focused on the candidates' positions and dispositions. Underlying most of our election talk is the assumption that elections in the U.S. are free and that the basic right to vote is so secure that it can be almost taken for granted. IssueLab's CloseUp calls many of those assumptions into question. In this special collection of research, nonprofits from across the country present us with startling facts about the flaws in our electoral system and inspiring case studies about how reforms are opening the polls up to millions more voters. Whether a disabled person can vote independently, whether we are surrendering control of our vote counting system to outside vendors, or whether individuals who have served prison time should have their voting rights restored, are not purely theoretical or overly technical concerns, they have a very real impact on the outcomes of elections. Before you head to the polls this year learn more about which of your fellow Americans you won't be seeing there and why! http://www.issuelab.org/closeup **** Some of the key findings from these reports include: "Racial disparities in the criminal justice system translate into higher rates of disenfranchisement in communities of color, resulting in one of every eight adult black males being ineligible to vote." -- Sentencing Project http://tinyurl.com/3rd2cc "28. 3 million voting age people in the U.S. experience physical difficulty, including grasping or handling small objects. 19.1 million have trouble seeing." -- Brennan Center http://tinyurl.com/43ehsj **** Regards, Gabi ______________ Gabriela Fitz Co-Director IssueLab 4001 N. Ravenswood Ave., Suite 602 Chicago, IL 60613 773.649.1790 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.issuelab.org IssueLab: bringing nonprofit research into focus http://www.issuelab.org/subscribe/public/index.php We've got issues. Read all about it in IssueLab eNews! --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
