Public Assistance Agencies

Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act

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The plaintiffs and attorneys in Project Vote and the NAACP’s public assistance agency lawsuit in Louisiana.

Though most people know the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) as the “motor voter” law, fewer people know that it also mandates that voter registration be offered at other government agencies besides DMVs. State agencies offering SNAP (food stamps), TANF, Medicaid, and other government benefits are also legally required to assist their clients in registering to vote under the NVRA.

Congress included this provision, Section 7, exactly to reach the citizens who are less likely to register through other means: low-income people, minorities, the elderly, and the disabled.

However, too many states have been ignoring this part of the NVRA, meaning that millions of our most vulnerable citizens are missing out on the change to make their voices heard. That’s why Project Vote and our partners are working to fix that. We investigate compliance. We document violations of the NVRA. And, where we find problems, we work—through advocacy, assistance, and litigation—to ensure that states are following the law and doing right by their citizens.

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Report Cites Rise In Voter Registrations Following Suit

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The U.S. Election Assistance Commission report says that 53,000 low-income Hoosiers either applied to register or updated their registrations from 2011 to 2012. Read more

More Hoosiers register to vote through public assistance offices

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According to Project Vote, a Washington D.C.-based non-profit organization that works to empower, educate and mobilize marginalized and under-represented voters, the increase is the result of a lawsuit settled in 2011. Read more

Nearly 400,000 Low-Income Ohioans Apply to Register to Vote

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A dramatic increase in voter registration applications from public assistance agencies is the result of a successful lawsuit brought by voting rights groups to bring the state into compliance with the NVRA. Read more

Nearly 53,000 Low-Income Indianans Apply to Register to Vote

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A dramatic increase in voter registration applications from public assistance agencies is the result of a successful lawsuit brought by voting rights groups to bring the state into compliance with the NVRA. Read more

Nearly 30,000 low-income Louisianans apply to register to vote

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“These data show that Louisianans want to register and will register to vote when given the opportunity.” Read more

Group: Voter registration grew at assistance sites

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Thousands of low-income Louisiana residents have registered to vote because of its pressure on state public assistance agencies to provide the applications. Read more

Nearly 18,000 Low-Income Georgians Apply to Register to Vote

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A dramatic increase in voter registration applications from public assistance agencies is the result of a successful lawsuit brought by voting rights groups to bring the state into compliance with the NVRA. Read more

Nearly 30,000 Low-Income Louisianans Apply to Register to Vote

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A dramatic increase in voter registration applications from public assistance agencies is the result of a successful lawsuit brought by voting rights groups to bring the state into compliance with the NVRA. Read more

How to Make Voting Easier

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Much progress has been made as we mark the 20th anniversary of the NVRA, but there’s still a long way to go. Read more

National Voter Registration Act Turns 20, Faces Challenges Today

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“To the extent that Americans now think voter registration is easy, it’s largely because of the NVRA,” says Michael Slater, executive director of Project Vote. Read more