In the weeks leading up to the 2008 General Elections, MALDEF filed a lawsuit in Georgia against unconstitutional verification procedures that conflicted with Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. MALDEF, along with the American Civil Liberties Union Voting Rights Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and attorney Brian Spears, filed suit in U.S. District Court (N.D. GA.) seeking an order to stop Secretary of State Karen C. Handel from using database matching verification procedures that inaccurately flagged U.S. citizens as non-citizens. The matching system is used for both voter registrants and current registered voters on the rolls. The suit alleged that the flawed matching verification procedures were illegally implemented because Secretary Handel failed to seek approval from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) before starting to use them.
Voting Rights
Escobedo v. Rogers
As part of MALDEF’s national voter protection campaign during the 2008 general elections, MALDEF filed a federal lawsuit in Albuquerque, New Mexico to block threats and voter intimidation directed at eligible Latino voters. MALDEF represents two Latina voters who are properly registered and qualified to vote but were the target of an intimidation campaign that included public accusations of voter fraud and harassment by a private investigator sent to their homes.
MALDEF Wins Preliminary Injunction Against State Of Georgia For Its Failure To Comply With The Voting Rights Act
ATLANTA, GA – Yesterday, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) won a favorable court ruling effectively ending the State of Georgia’s illegal attempt to use an unlawful verification check that would have denied the right to vote for thousands of citizens. The court issued a preliminary injunction requiring the State of Georgia to allow persons whose citizenship has been questioned pursuant to Georgia’s database matching system to cast a ballot in the Nov. 4 election.
MALDEF Files Lawsuit Against Intimidation Campaign Aimed At Latino Voters In New Mexico
As Many As Ten Thousand Of Eligible Colorado Voter Registrations At Risk
Voter Protection Efforts
Across the country, MALDEF has been working hard to secure unfettered access to voter registration materials and to the polling booths for all U.S. citizens. Two recent victories came in the reauthorization of the federal Voting Rights Act and the rejection by the U.S. Supreme Court of gerrymandered Texas districts that diluted the votes of hundreds of thousands of Latinos.
Georgia Voter List Purge Challenged In Federal Lawsuit
MALDEF Appeals Court Ruling Upholding Arizona Proposition 200 Voter Restrictions
PHOENIX, AZ – Today, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) appealed to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals the ruling of a federal judge upholding the voting restrictions of Arizona Proposition 200, also known as the Arizona Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act. MALDEF had challenged the law as unconstitutional because it forced voters to meet onerous new identification requirements at the polls and imposed unnecessary paperwork requirements on those seeking to register to vote.
Federal Court Upholds Constitutionality Of The Voting Rights Act
Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One v. U.S. Attorney General Holder
U.S. Supreme Court Fails America Voters With Indiana Voter ID Case Decision
Indiana Voter ID (Amicus Counsel)
Supreme Court Decision Jeopardizes Right To Vote in Arizona
MALDEF Appeals Denial Of Preliminary Injunction On Prop. 200 Voter Restrictions
PHOENIX, AZ – Yesterday, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), petitioned the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to review the denial of a preliminary injunction against the voting restrictions of Arizona’s Proposition 200. MALDEF earlier sought a preliminary injunction to prevent U.S. citizens from having to meet difficult and discriminatory new identification requirements in order to vote in the upcoming primary and general elections. In addition, MALDEF sought to remove new “proof of citizenship” requirements that have prevented thousands of voter applicants from being placed on the rolls for the upcoming elections. In an order yesterday, a lower court denied MALDEF’s request.
MALDEF Hails Senate Passage Of Voting Rights Act Ad A Victory For Latino Empowerment And Democracy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) applauded the United States Senate today for its passage of S. 2703, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, and Cesar Chavez Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. The Senate reauthorized the landmark legislation by a vote of 98-0. This vote total marks the greatest number by which the Senate has ever approved the VRA.