Today in History: The Civil Rights Act of 1960 was signed.

On May 6, 1960 the Civil Rights Act of 1960 was signed into law. The Act  was intended to strengthen voting rights across the country. It specifically included provisions calling for the  federal  government to inspect local voter registration rolls and authorized court-appointed referees to help African Americans register and vote. This act also provided criminal penalties for any and all parties attempting to prevent people from voting. See the the original Act virtually here.

Voting by mail during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) leads to a constitutional question being raised in the state of Georgia.

A lawsuit was filed this past Wednesday asserting that the price of postage for “voting by mail” in Georgia is unconstitutional.  Black Voters Matter filed a federal claim arguing that the price of postage constitutes a poll tax because it essentially requires that voters pay to cast a ballot. Read more about it here. #votingrights #coronavirus #votingbymail

A New Hampshire voting law was struck down by the Superior Court as Unconstitutional.

Last week the Superior Court found that a new law, recently added by New Hampshire’s state legislators, is unconstitutional.  The law recognized as “SB3” placed multiple obstacles on the voter registration process. The new law required voters to prove their place of residence based on the exact location where they are planning to casts their vote. Additionally, the law established new repercussions on individuals who failed to comply. The Judge ultimately found these new requirements to be overly burdensome on the electoral process. It is predicted that this decision will be appealed to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Read more about the Superior Court’s holding here.