Keep The rOaD TO DemOcracy Open fOr all Of us

Our struggle for voting rights continues.

In a true democracy, votes count and voices matter on Election Day. But we know that seemingly simple and colorblind processeslike a literacy test, a tax at the poll, or restrictions due to prior convicted felonieshave kept entire groups of people from being able to vote. We also know that voting rights, which allow eligible citizens to elect their leaders in a democracy, have only become a reality for people of color, low-income people, young people, and women in Minnesota in the last two generations. Lets remember the struggle for voting rights when we vote NO this November.
We have a long history of expanding participation in democracy: 1865 13th Amendment Abolition of Slavery, 1866 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause, 1869 15th Amendment Equal Right to Vote, 1920 19th Amendment Womens Suffrage, 1924 Indian Citizenship Act, 1965 Voting Rights Act, 1971 26th Amendment Minimum Voting Age. In Minnesota, the 1974 adoption of Election Day registrationused by nearly 1 in 5 votershas increased voter turnout and registration. (Minnesota Council of Nonprofits)

There is no free lunchand no free ID.

The proposed amendment would require voters to present a valid government-issued photo ID before receiving a ballot to vote. The government must provide the ID at no chargeotherwise the ID requirement would be an unconstitutional poll tax. But the amendment does create costs for voting, to all taxpayers who must pay to implement this system and to individuals who must obtain a valid ID. Do you have a job and cant take time off to go get an ID? How far away is the service centera long bus ride, or many miles if you live in rural Minnesota? These are real costs for many Minnesotans, especially for people of color and American Indians who are more likely to live in poverty.
More than 1 in 10 voting-age citizens, including 25% of African Americans and 18% of those over age 65, do not have current, government-issued photo ID. (Brennan Center for Justice) Some Minnesotans must travel distances of 50-100 miles roundtrip to obtain ID at a government office. This amounts to at least $20 in gas, assuming you have access to a car. (Minnesota Council on Nonprofits) Federally issued tribal IDs acknowledge the sovereignty of American Indians in our state (and are recognized under Minnesota law). However, tribal identification will not be accepted for voting under the proposed amendment, representing an additional burden for these communities.

fewer ballots will be counted on election Day. yours could be one of them.
The voter ID amendment would end same-day registration as we know it. And it would create a new process for voters who do not bring a valid ID to the pollprovisional balloting. For a vote to count, this means travel to a county auditor office (not a nearby neighborhood polling place) to present a valid ID within a period after Election Day. If you cant get away from school or work or find transportation to the elections office, your vote wont count. This rule will apply whether you left your wallet at home or your purse was stolen on Election Day.
In Indiana, which has a strict voter ID law similar to what is being proposed in Minnesota, only 13% of provisional ballots cast were counted in the 2008 election. In 26 states, less than half of provisional ballots were ultimately counted. (League of Women Voters - Minnesota) In 2008, 540,000 voters (18% of all voters) registered on Election Day. This option will not be available if the voter ID amendment passes. (Minnesota Council on Nonprofits)

Minneapolis and the summer flooding in the Duluth area. Our lives have been in flux. But our voting rights should remain solid. Under the proposed amendment, only valid government-issued IDs with a current address will be permissible to access the right to vote. So transitions in life will result in a barrier to vote.
Of the 9,630 homeless persons counted in 2009, 76% were people of color. The number could be higherit was estimated that the actual number of homeless people was over 13,000 in 2009. (MN Compass) Young voters are less likely to have a government-issued ID with their current address18% of those between 18-24 years old. (League of Women Voters - Minnesota)

Building an inclusive democracy is a work in progresslets not undo that work.

Minnesota has a history of expanding rights and welcoming people to participate in the democratic process. Our demographics are changing dramatically. Making sure that the many voices of our communities are a part of a true democratic process is more important than ever.
The proportion of Minnesotans who are people of color has grown dramatically over the last 30 years, from 4% to 17%. By 2030, people of color are expected to make up 25% of the state population. By 2040 the population of color in the Twin Cities metro area will exceed 40%. (MN Compass, Metropolitan Council)

ever change your address? Voting could get harder for you.
Most of us, at one time or another, have had to move. College students often move one or more times each year. People who are homeless are staying with friends or in shelters or on the streets. Some of us have been hit especially hard by the foreclosure crisis or natural disasters like last years tornado in North

nOVemBer 6 VOTe nO On VOTer ID

Pov npav NO rau Voter ID. u codee maya aqoonsi waydiinta cod bixinta ee lagu xayirayo xuquuqdaada.

Vote NO al VOTER ID.

Voices for Voting rights is a multiracial, multicultural group of organizations focused on building community power, voice, and access at the polling booth and beyond. voicesforvotingrights.org.