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NOW Hear This: May 3, 2024 Newsletter

Message from National NOW President Christian F. Nunes

Greetings Feminists,

How can we ensure intersectional voting access and voter rights for all? More than a century after the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, the ability of women to effectively exercise the right to vote is under renewed attack.

We are facing the most significant and dangerous anti-democracy movement our country has ever seen, with strict voter identification laws put on the books to promote voter suppression and harm groups like racial minorities and people experiencing poverty.

The Transformative Justice Coalition has identified 72 Forms of Voter Suppression, from strict voter photo ID laws, no early voting and cuts to early voting hours and drop-off boxes to running out of ballots, failure to accept Native American tribal IDs, lack of available public transportation and a host of other barriers that can no longer be ignored. We need to secure constitutional voting rights for everyone.

Voting is the building block of our democracy. It’s a tool everyone has in equal measure—at least, that’s how it’s supposed to be. But today, voting rights are being taken away faster than they’re being strengthened, and our democracy is in peril.

The Founders of our country gave the vote only to other educated white men who owned property. It took more than a century for the vote to meaningfully reach people of color, women, Native Americans, people with disabilities, and low-income people who were historically kept from easy access to the voting booth.

That’s why passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act is necessary.

The Supreme Court took a sledgehammer to the Voting Rights Act in the Shelby County v. Holder decision of 2013 that struck down the preclearance provision that required jurisdictions with a history of voting discrimination to get approval from the Department of Justice or a federal court in Washington, D.C. before changing voter laws or practices.

In his majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts argued that a vigorously enforced Voting Rights Act was no longer “grounded in current conditions” because the “country has changed.” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in her dissent, wrote that the country would not have changed without the preclearance structure. Trashing preclearance, she said, was “like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”

NOW members know who was right in that Court decision and the dreadful consequences it’s caused to the voting rights of millions. We won’t stop fighting until we have complete Constitutional protection of voting rights for everyone—and always.

In solidarity,
Christian

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“[Feminism] is nothing more than the extension of democracy or social justice and equality of opportunities to women.”
~ Mabel Ping-Hua Lee

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NOW in the News

• Conservative politicians are eager to introduce bills to “protect women and girls in sports” or stop kids from being exposed to “pornographic” content. But don’t be fooled. These bills don’t protect kids, they target and harm LGBTQIA+ youth. This week, NOW National President Christian F. Nunes speaks with Charlotte Clymer, a writer, communications consultant, trans activist, and military veteran, about why the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights is a feminist issue, why people are trying to target LGBTQIA+ people with so much hate, and actions people can take to help. Check it out here~!
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• On The Record | NOW Celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
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Resources

• NOW’s Core Issue | Constitutional Equality
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• NOW Racial Justice | Voting Rights/Curbing Voter Suppression
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• The Voting Rights Alliance |72 Forms of Voter Suppression
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• The Brennan Center | FACT SHEET. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
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• Congress.gov | H.R.11 - Freedom to Vote Act
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• NPR | We, the Voters
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• MSNBC Symone | Discussing women voters ahead of the 2024 election
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• The Brennan Center for Justice | People of Color Are Being Deterred from Voting
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• Pew Research Center | Key Facts about Eligible US Voters in 2024
Key facts about Hispanic eligible voters in 2024
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Key facts about Asian American eligible voters in 2024
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Key facts about Black eligible voters in 2024
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• The Lawyers Committee |Voting Rights Project
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• NOW Young Feminists | April Newsletter
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• Legal Momentum | Reproductive Rights Resources
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• WCASA | Reproductive Justice
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• Advocates for Youth | Reproductive Justice
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Action

• Support NOW's Work | Donate Today
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• Join NOW | What can you do to fight for women’s rights? Join NOW.
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• Human Rights Watch | A Human Rights Guide to the 2024 US Elections-Vital Recommendations for Voters, Candidates, and Supporters of Democracy
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• Voter Registration | How to register and share with others
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• Social Goods | Shop to Support the Social Goods x NOW Collection
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• ERA Petition | Sign4ERA Petition [link removed]

• National Network of Abortion Funds | Donate for Abortion Funds
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• FreeWill | Your will is a symbol of everything you value in your life. You can use your will to support NOW and a feminist future. Click here to review.
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Upcoming Events

• Racial Justice Convening: Demanding Racial Equity NOW | June 18, 630 pm – 8:30 pm ET - RSVP to attend
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• National Conference | Register today!
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National Organization for Women
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United States
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