(This archive starts with website launch April 1, 2008 - for more on voter turnout go to the voter turnout section of the site.)
View recent editions of NVEN's monthly update, Election Reform and Turnout News
August 2008
 Community Partners in Action of Connecticut has launched a statewide campaign to assist
ex-offenders with restoration of voting rights. Connecticut recently
changed its law to make it more automatic for ex-offenders to register
and vote. Learn more.
 On August 14, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner issued a directive advising county elections boards that they must allow voters who register to be immediately
issued an absentee ballot. This measure allows Ohio residents to both register and cast an absentee ballot in person starting September 30th. Learn more.
 This report from R. Michael Alvarez (Caltech) and Jonathan Nagler (NYU)
from Demos analyzes likely effects of introducing Election Day
Registration in Nebraska, and including estimates of
increases in turnout for specific groups of Nebraska citizens under EDR. Download the report here.
July 2008
Young Voters 17% of 2008 Primary Electorate, Reports CIRCLE
According to a new turnout report from CIRCLE, more than 6.5 million young people
under the age of 30 participated in the 2008 primaries and caucuses,
representing 17% of the 2008 primary electorate (up from 9% in 2000).
View CIRCLE's fact sheet.
Vast Number of CA Residents Vote by Mail
 On July 14, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced that for the first time ever, over half of California voters who voted in
the recent primary cast their votes by mail (58.7%). Read the press release.
New Report from The Sentencing Project
 Read The Sentencing Project's executive summary of "Relief from the Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Conviction," a new comprehensive survey from Margaret Colgate Love on felon disenfranchisement laws and practices in all 50 states.
CA Legislature Passes National Popular Vote Plan
 On
06/30, the California Assembly passed National Popular Vote Plan bill
(SB 37). The measure already passed the State Senate in 2007.
The
bill now will be sent for the second time to Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger for signature (Governor Schwarzenegger previously vetoed
the measure in 2006).
Senate Bill Proposes Automatic Re-Registration
 On June 6, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) introduced S. 3100, a bill that would encourage advance voter registration for sixteen year olds,
and automatic re-registration of voters who changed their residence. S.
3100 would create a grant program to provide the States with the funds
needed to implement pre-registration for sixteen year olds, ensuring
that they would be on the voter rolls when they turn eighteen.
New Report: Asian American Political Engagement
 "Awakening the New 'Sleeping Giant'? Asian American Political Engagement," prepared by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center,
the University of California Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy
Multi-Campus Research Program, and Leadership Education for Asian
Pacifics, charts Asian American electoral trends in the context of
population growth, demographics and immigration status and highlights
the challenges of translating Asian Americans’ growing numbers into
strength at the polls. Read the report.
June 2008
Virginia Governor Pushes for Voter Re-Enfranchisement
 Civic and social organizations are teaming with Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine to try to add thousands of nonviolent offenders to the voting rolls in time for the November election. Read more from the Washington Post.
National Popular Vote Advances in Rhode Island
On June 19th, the Rhode Island House joined the Senate in passing the
National Popular Vote Plan bill S 2112. The vote was 36-34. The bill
now goes to Governor Donald Carcieri for signature. Read more. (Note: Measure was vetoed on 7/4/2008)
Ohio Secretary of State Releases Primary Report
 Read OH Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's report on Ohio's 2008 Primary Election,
which outlinesvoter turnout and election procedure improvements since
2004 and identifies the remaining problem areas to resolve for future
elections.
115,000 Ex-Offenders in Florida Regain Right to Vote
 Since April over 115,000, or 20% of ex-offenders in Florida have
regained their right to vote , thanks
to new state legislation establishing a three-tiered severity level for
Florida citizens convicted of a crime. Until April, Florida was one of
only 3 states to strip all convicted felons of their right to vote;
those who finish prison and probation previously had to endure a
lengthy review by state officials in order to vote, serve on a jury, or
hold a state-licensed job.
"Once somebody has truly paid their debt to society, we should
recognize it, and we should honor it and we should welcome them back
into society and give them that second chance," said Florida Governor
Charlie Crist. (The New York Times)
May 2008
Rock The Vote: 109% Young Voter Turnout Increase in 2008
 Over 6 million voters under age 30 have already voted in 2008, an amazing 109% increase from 2004 and 2000. Read Rock the Vote's Report.
MO Session Ends Without Passing Voter ID Reform
 Missouri has ended its legislative session without taking action on a
bill that would have required voters to provide proof of citizenship to
cast a ballot.
New Turnout Guide by Donald Green
 Donald Green and Alan Gerber of Yale University have released a 2nd edition of Get Out the Vote: How to Increase Voter Turnout, with updated findings on surprising best (and worst) practices for voter engagement work. Read more.
Latino Voter Engagement: Lessons from Nevada
This latest report from The Century Foundation describes strategies used to increase Latino presence in Nevada's 2008 caucus.
April 2008
IN Voter ID Law Upheld in Crawford vs. Marion County
 On April 28th, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 6-3 to uphold Indiana's photo ID law in the case of Crawford vs. Marion County. Indiana is one of only two states in the nation requiring voters to produce government-issued photo ID. Rick Hasen of Electionlaw elaborates on the Court's opinions. Read our brief.
Pennsylvania Votes - Primary 2008
See the exit polls for Pennsylvania's April 22nd Primary Elections (msnbc.com).
Youth Voter Turnout in Pennsylvania Primaries
 14 percent of eligible Pennsylvania citizens under the age of 30 participated in the Pennsylvania primaries, according to preliminary analysis by CIRCLE (press release).
Youth Voter Participation in the 21st Century
Young voter participation has been on the rise
since 2000, indicating that the high youth turnout levels in this
season's primary elections are due more to young people's growing
political engagement than to the pull of any one particular candidate (Kristin Oshyn, The Century Foundation).
Record Voter Registration Rates in 2008 Primaries
Voter registration surges in six of the eight states with upcoming Democratic primaries — a sign that turnout could continue to break records for the 2008 Presidential Primary Election (USA Today).
NVEN Releases Report on Turnout in 2080 Primaries
 Turnout this primary season has been unprecedented. To learn more, read our new report - America Goes to the Polls: 2008 Presidential Primaries.
Circle Releases Report on Trends in Youth Turnout
Read CIRCLE's new report on trends in young voter turnout.
Pew Hispanic Center Releases Report on Hispanic Voters in 2008
 Read the Pew Hispanic Center's new report on Hispanics in the 2008 election.
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Turnout in this year's primary election season was unprecedented. To learn more, read NVEN's report,