CLC’s State of the Union: 5 Ways To Make Democracy More Inclusive and Accessible in 2023

As President Biden gives his State of the Union address tonight, we'd like to share our own. Here are five ways we'd like to see the promise of democracy become real for us all in 2023:??

1 - Protect and expand the freedom to vote ahead of Election 2024.???

This is one of our most fundamental rights, and our democracy is strongest when every voter can participate in it. We're very much still fighting anti-voter laws in court and taking on barriers to voter registration. Meanwhile, in the absence of federal voting legislation, we're very encouraged by the passage of state Voting Rights Acts. ?We hope to see more of them introduced this year. ?

2 - Advocate for voters in jail and voters with past convictions.???

Voters in jail who have not been convicted of a crime should face no restrictions when voting, but many do. They face countless barriers to registering to vote and casting their ballot.????

We're working with states and localities to implement measures that expand ballot access in jails. We’ve also developed a manual to help jailed voters cast a ballot.??

Additionally, up to 18 million Americans with past felony convictions CAN vote, but most don't know it due to confusing voting restoration laws. Our Restore Your Vote program is removing barriers to the ballot box for voters with past convictions.??

If you have a past conviction and want to confirm your eligibility, or start the process of restoring your vote, visit RestoreYourVote.org (en Espa?ol: RecupereSuVoto.org).??

3 - Promote fair voting maps.??

The 2021 redistricting cycle is over, but CLC is still battling racial vote dilution and partisan gerrymanders in court. ?

State Voting Rights Acts ?can help promote fair voting maps by making it easier for Black voters and communities of color to prove that a voting map discriminates through racial vote dilution. Additionally, adopting independent redistricting commissions helps states promote transparent, fair voting maps. ?

We're also resisting the independent state legislature theory, which would undermine crucial checks and balances in our election system.

4 - Advocate for stronger ethics laws across all three branches of government.??

We want to see a stronger Office of Congressional Conduct (Previously the Office of Congressional Ethics) (OCE) and an independent ethics committee for the Senate. Until that happens, CLC will continue to hold members of Congress accountable for ethics violations. Over 90% of voters across party lines support increasing enforcement of ethics rules for members of Congress. ?

We'd also like to see increased ethics enforcement across all three branches of government. This includes continuing to hold President Biden accountable for his ethics reform promises, because voters have a right to know that elected officials are serving the public interest and not their own wallets.??

5 - Promote greater transparency around how our elections are funded.??

Dysfunction at the Federal Election Commission is undermining voters' right to know who is spending money to influence our vote and our government. CLC will continue filing complaints to expose secret spending flowing into our elections.???

We are also advocating for solutions at the state and local level to address gaps in federal transparency rules, including legislation, regulation and ballot measures like Proposition 211, aka the "Voters’ Right to Know Act," which Arizona voters enacted in Election 2022.??

Secret spending in our political process, sometimes called "dark money,” deprives voters of information necessary to make informed electoral choices and makes our electoral system vulnerable to corruption and manipulation.??

In 2023 and beyond, CLC is fighting for every American’s right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process.???

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