Local vs National Action: Which is Best?

Hi, Friend!

Three of the top questions we received regarding local vs national action (especially after our publication of The Way Forward: A 10 Point Plan) are:

1. Why can’t you go to the Supreme Court to demand election reforms?
2. Why can’t we implement national election reforms (such as voter ID)?
3. Does my local involvement actually matter?

Let’s break it down…(and then we’ll give you a sneak peek into a new TTV initiative!)

1. Why we can’t go straight to the US Supreme Court to demand election reforms?:A lawsuit reaches the U.S. Supreme Court through a multi-step process. It typically starts in a lower court—either a state or federal court. If a party loses and believes there was a legal error, they can appeal to an intermediate appellate court. From there, the case may go to a state supreme court or a federal circuit court. Finally, a party can petition the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case by filing a writ of certiorari. The Court only accepts a small percentage of cases, usually those involving constitutional issues, conflicts between lower courts, or matters of national significance. Four of the nine justices must agree to hear the case for it to be taken up.Some cases can go directly to the U.S. Supreme Court under its original jurisdiction, meaning they do not have to go through lower courts first. The U.S. Constitution (Article III, Section 2) grants the Supreme Court original jurisdiction in cases involving:
   • Disputes between two or more states
   • Cases involving foreign ambassadors, public ministers, and consuls
   • Cases where the United States is a party
   It’s a regimented, protracted, difficult (and expensive) process. But, with every lawsuit we engage in, whether as plaintiff or defendant, we know that if it takes going all the way to SCOTUS, we will.
2. Why can’t we implement national election reforms (such as voter ID)?While Congress has the authority to regulate federal elections (under the U.S. Constitution's Elections Clause, which allows it to "make or alter" state regulations regarding the "Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives,") the implementation of nationwide election reforms, like a federal voter identification law, are limited and infrequent - but that’s a good thing.Historically, states have maintained the authority to set specific voter qualifications and election procedures. By way of example, mandating a federal voter ID requirement would be an overreach into state jurisdiction, which would lead to legal challenges and resistance from states that have differing views on voter identification laws.Congress has the constitutional authority to regulate aspects of federal elections, which you see in legislation like the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), but the enactment of national election law is complicated by federalism concerns, existing legislative frameworks, and near-certain legal challenges - which leads us to #3.
3. Why your local involvement matters:Nationwide reforms should definitely be on our radar, but the greatest, fastest improvements to election processes happen at local and state levels - and YOU have an incredibly important role to play!Each and every citizen willing to engage matters. Every voice speaking out is crucial. Any minute, hour, or day spent on understanding your local election methods is never a second wasted.Being aware of your local processes helps you recognize the areas that could be benefitted by changes in legislation. Then, through working with your local elected representatives, groups like True the Vote, or even going solo, you can advocate those common sense reforms. In fact, in the early years of True the Vote (which started as a small local group in Texas many years ago), Catherine and the True the Vote team of local advocates developed and shepherded 14 bills that were signed into law!So with a resounding “YES!” - your local involvement is vital!Sneak Peek! A TTV feature coming soon: an initiative to get you even more immersed in our legislative process in an easy, digestible way that provides real solutions.Our nation was founded on the fundamental principle that the people run the government, not the other way around. For too long, we have been uninvolved with legislative processes and detached from the ways the system works.That changes this year.I won’t get into too much right now, but I am so excited to share that we will be launching a legislative tracking system so that you will not only know what is occurring in your state pertaining to election legislation and regulations, but also how specific bills are moving and what you can do about it.Plus, if you’re like me, the very word “legislation” used to make me anxious just due to the overwhelming number of bills, what they say, and I’d find myself thinking, “What could I possibly do to change anything?”We will be providing trainings on how to navigate this system and how you can get even further engaged in what your state officials are doing. You will once again be a part of the process, and not just being made to believe that the best decisions are being made for you.“…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” - Matthew 17:20Let’s continue moving mountains!

Please consider contributing to our multiple initiatives so we can continue the pertinent mission of securing our elections. Your tax-deductible contribution fuels our ongoing projects.

https://truethevote.org/donate

If you have any questions, our team is always happy to assist in any way we can. Please feel free to reach us at [email protected].

God bless you and God bless America!

Ever onward!