Voting rights advocates and Oklahoma officials announced that a settlement has been reached to provide more effective voter registration opportunities to citizens throughout the state.
Under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), state agencies that provide public assistance must ask clients whether they want to register to vote, offer them voter registration materials, and help them complete registration forms.
The settlement agreement is between the community groups and the State of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma State Election Board, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, the Oklahoma State Department of Health, and the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority.
It includes a robust plan for ensuring public assistance applicants receive voter registration services throughout Oklahoma in compliance with the NVRA.
Some highlights of the agreement include:
● Each public assistance agency will ask all public assistance clients whether they want to register to vote, provide voter registration forms, offer clients assistance in completing forms, and transmit completed voter registration applications to elections officials. These services will be offered regardless of how the client interacts with the agency – whether in person, online, through self-service portals, or over the phone.
● Each public assistance agency will assign a staff member responsibility for coordinating and implementing voter registration services, and all staff who engage clients during public assistance transactions will be trained on how they must provide voter registration services.
● The Oklahoma State Election Board will oversee public assistance agencies to ensure voter registration services are provided. This oversight will include regularly reviewing public assistance agency compliance, publicly reporting its findings, and intervening when it appears a particular office or agency is failing to provide required registration services.
“This agreement is a win-win for Oklahoma voters, the State of Oklahoma and American democracy,” said Ezra Rosenberg, Lawyers’ Committee Voting Rights Project Co-Director. “To achieve this result without the need to resort to litigation is a testament both to the legitimacy of the issues that have been resolved and the responsiveness of state officials after the problem was brought to their attention.“
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
No comments:
Post a Comment