(Washington Post) — Virginia New Majority, a civil rights group, has launched a campaign to get 20,000 immigrant and African-American voters to the polls to help elect progressive legislators in Virginia this November.  Dozens of activists from across the nation have arrived in Virginia prior to the Aug. 23 primary to begin knocking on doors. They spoke to 300 potential voters Tuesday night about immigration reform and the possibility of uranium mining in Southside Virginia.

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By Charlotte Young

It appears Florida Gov. Rick Scott is a fan of the days when discriminatory voting practices were in place to discourage African Americans from voting because he recently signed into law a bill that blatantly disenfranchises those who are black and poor.

First, his new law has cut early voting days from 15 to eight. Those who move to another country are prohibited from changing their addresses at the polls—such a stipulation would affect college students and working poor people who move a lot. Thus, their ballots will be cast as provisional ballots, and studies show these ballots tend to be cast out. The worst part of Scott’s new law is that third party groups who register voters must turn in all new registration forms in only two days compared to the previously allowed 10 days.

Thank God for Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires certain states (such as Florida) to get a pre-clearance from the Department of Justice before changing voting practices.

Besides Scott’s new law, Rev. Jesse Jackson is calling attention to how proposed state laws requiring photo identification for voters, along with Congressional reapportionment and state legislation that restricts the bargaining power of labor unions, will all weaken the black vote.

The requirement for state-issued photo IDs at the polls means that millions may not vote in the 2012 election because they don’t have licenses or birth certificates and cannot afford to get them, said Jackson. He added that there are 5.5 million blacks in America who are of legal driving age but do not have a driver’s license.

According to BlackAmericaWeb, there are several states considering photo IDs, including Ohio, Wisconsin, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Montana, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.

Now, it is true that congressional reapportionment and labor union bargaining power may create a setback to the black community and should be addressed quickly. But what’s so wrong with requiring a photo ID? There comes a time when we need to stop coddling people and tell them, for instance, to get a photo ID. How else could people make credit purchases, get on planes, file taxes and get into nightclubs without a valid ID?

Rev. Jesse Jackson, please take that issue up with your supporters.

(Washington Post) — Tea party supporters became poll watchers in precincts across Houston to guard against voter fraud. A fight over absentee ballots erupted as an issue in Pennsylvania. Democrats in Delaware accused Republicans of voter intimidation, and the Kansas attorney general is looking into deceptive calls telling voters to show up at the polls Wednesday.  The kind of voting irregularities, accusations of fraud and deceptive practices that have become endemic to Election Day continued Tuesday with reports of problems with voting machines, difficulties with voter registration and misleading pre-recorded calls.

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(The Grio) — The goal on Election Day is to ensure that every eligible voter is able to successfully cast their ballot. Here, theGrio identifies some of the most common problems that voters encounter at the polls and discuss solutions to help overcome the barriers.

1)Verify the location of your polling place before venturing out on Election Day, especially if you are a first time voter. To verify your polling place, check your registration card or certificate, call your local election official or go to apolling place locator for your state.

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