Check out my legal scholarship "Youth Voting Rights & The Unfulfilled Promise of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment," in UPenn's Journal of Constitutional Law. A critical time to reflect on this unexplored, untapped well of justice.
#VotingRights
#26thAmendment
Fantastic article discussing various types of student voter suppression, & some of what we @
@AndrewGoodmanF
are doing about it. Young people won the right to vote nearly 50 years ago, yet that right continues to be obstructed today.
#TwentySixthAmendment
Breaking:
@SenWarren
&
@NikemaWilliams
introduced the Youth Voting Rights Act today! It's the most comprehensive & sweeping bill to protect
#YouthVote
since ratification of the
#26thAmendment
. An enormous privilege to work w them to craft this proposal.
When you don't believe in science during a global pandemic. When you don't believe in gun control in the midst of an epidemic of endless school shootings. When you don't believe in healthcare for pregnant mothers & children. You can't claim to be pro-life. This is a death spiral.
@SIfill_
This occurred in Caldwell, NJ. The neighbor who called is co-chairman and treasurer of the Caldwell Republican Party. He has lived across the street from her for almost eight years. She is 9 years old.
Proud to have served as co-counsel in this matter through the motion to dismiss (survived on all counts) & discovery phase. The jury just entered a judgment against Project Veritas on all counts on behalf of
@DemPartners
. A big win for Election Integrity.
BREAKING: We won every count of our lawsuit against James O'Keefe + Project Veritas!! The jury returned $120k in damages w/ possibility of attorneys fees.
Today marks an important defeat against spreaders of disinformation and an important win for democracy and real journalism!
"A country throughout history, we find, goes through ebbs & flows of idealism. Time after time the country needs an infusion of new spirit, an infusion of youth."
- Pres. Nixon, 1971 Certification of
#26thAmendment
#YouthVote
Listen closely to find our nation's moral compass⤵️
Watch this- The shooting on UNC chapel hill was the third for Amie Boakye, a sophomore from Kentucky. No one should have to live with the aftermath of a single shooting let alone three.
WE DID IT! A PEOPLE'S VICTORY. May this be a rebirth for democracy in NJ. It is a GOOD Friday!
Let's be clear. Should a 3rd Circuit appeal be filed, the Defendant Clerks, nonpartisan election administrators - will be using taxpayer $$$ to prevent a fair election.
#AbolishTheLine
BREAKING: Until recently, not enough people understood NJ’s anti-democratic “county line.”
Until we all did.
Then The People refused to accept it.
@YaelBromberg
,
@bmpugach
& team challenged it.
And today, Judge Quraishi struck it down for EVERY RACE in NJ’s June 4th primary!
Must've been all the lawsuits. Proud to have taken these clowns on w brilliant co-counsel Joe Sandler &
@abfrancois
on behalf of
@lawindsor
&
@DemPartners
in successful litigation in federal court in D.C. + elsewhere. Yet another win for democracy & election integrity this week.
Students in Fulton County, Georgia are doing the work - directly engaging in local democracy & advocating for restoration of Early On-Campus Voting Sites in a county comprised of 90K voters, 30% of whom are Black students due to the concentration of HBCUs.
#YouthVote
The Third Circuit UNANIMOUSLY affirms the District Court's order granting the preliminary injunction: "its findings of fact are substantiated, its conclusions of law are sound, and its ultimate decision granting the injunction presents no abuse of discretion."
#LineABOLISHED
BREAKING: Until recently not enough people understood NJ’s anti-democratic “county line.”
Until we all did.
Then The People refused to accept it.
@YaelBromberg
,
@bmpugach
& Flavio challenged it.
The 3rd Circuit just upheld striking it down for EVERY RACE in NJ’s 6/4 primary!
@CornellWBrooks
Thank You for speaking up, Cornell. All communities must unlearn our biases in order for us to progress & build power. The type of vile hate speech promoted by Farrakhan must be openly disavowed. It amazes me that spaces that promote love, faith, & unity still give him a pulpit.
As a legal scholar and litigator of the
#26thAmendment
, this is extremely alarming and direct evidence of intentional voter discrimination against a protected class of voters. It is also anathema to the strong cross-partisan history of the Amendment.
#YouthVote
#StudentVote
EXCLUSIVE AUDIO: Trump coup attorney Cleta Mitchell wants to "combat" voting on college campuses, citing North Carolina and Wisconsin, and says that when Republicans win the state Senate in Virginia, they can eliminate 45 days of early voting and same day voter registration.
The Third Circuit Court of Appeal has officially dismissed all 18 of the Defendant-Clerk Appellants, with prejudice and without costs. Only the Intervenor-Defendant remains. Also, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake accompanied the Order. 👀
#AbolishTheLine
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the remaining Defendant Clerks' emergency request to stay Judge Quraishi's preliminary injunction to
#AbolishTheLine
for the 2024 primary. Judge Quraishi's order & opinion stand. The next phase is merits briefing in the Third Circuit.
Tomorrow our heroic movement lawyers,
@YaelBromberg
,
@bmpugach
& Flavio will represent at the 3rd circuit in the appeal of the preliminary injunction on the Line. We ❤️you Yael, Brett & Flavio & our great ally
@RyanPHaygood
, who will argue for the Amici. 💪🏿💪💪🏽💪🏼🔥🔥🔥
The brilliant .
@mjs_DC
covers
@lawindsor
's scoop, on the differences btwn Justices Alito & Roberts' visions of the judiciary vis-a-vis a Christian supremacy culture war. "As Alito agreed, 1 side has to win. He hopes it will be his. The next election will determine if he’s right."
The Christianity-centered jurisprudence that Alito favors is increasingly dominant on the Trump-stacked lower courts, where far-right judges casually cite the Bible in opinions and infuse their rulings with theocratic conceptions of morality.
Although it doesn't come right out to say it, this article details what those following the prosecution of the Inauguration Day Protesters know very well - that it is a prime example of
#maliciousprosecution
.
#DefendJ20
#J20
🥂Extraordinary to see public invitations for, & pictures of, celebrations *across* New Jersey tonight, North to "Central," to "West," to South, celebrating today's win for Democracy. 🍾
(most political part of this Tweet is acknowledging that West and Central Jersey exist).
Today has been a surreal experience to say the least. Seeing something “impossible” happen leaves you with that feeling. It is a humble honor to share in today’s news with grassroots organizers and leaders who made it possible in the first place. We still have obstacles and
What an honor to have our dynamic trio legal team (
@bmpugach
, Flavio Komuves, and myself) be profiled on our efforts on behalf of Congressman
@AndyKimNJ
et al, and separately on behalf of
@NJWFP
et al, to
#Abolishtheline
for fair ballots in New Jersey.
They took on New Jersey's party bosses — and they're winning. "This isn’t just a David versus Goliath story. To paraphrase Albert Finney in 'Erin Brockovich,' this is a story about David versus Goliath’s 'whole f***ing family.'" via
@terrencemcd
🧵 Thread with excerpts of AG's letter below. The AG's letter substantiates the evidentiary record we establishef of the burden imposed, & the lack of a state interest in advancing it. AG is withdrawing from all related cases and will no longer defend this unconstitutional law.
"The letter is a demonstration of sorely needed public leadership, and serves as a death knell to the unconstitutional primary ballot design in New Jersey,” said Yael Bromberg, one of the lawyers.
#AbolishTheLine
#BanTheBossBallot
@SIfill_
@Vassar
It took too much damn work to get a new NY state law mandate to be honored at
@Vassar
, and to get the Commissioner to comply with judicial mandate. We need to nationalize on-campus polling locations to be the norm, rather than the exception.
#YouthVote
We have hit the 50% tipping point where the majority of Defendant-Clerks have withdrawn from their appeal before the Third Circuit. 10 have withdrawn, 9 formally remain (although there have been news reports that some of those will withdraw).
#Abolishtheline
Withdrawals Below:
Congrats NJ. You now have one of the worst public records laws in the country. Govt agencies can sue public records requestors. A national embarrassment.
📢JOIN US! The *first-ever* law symposium (& resulting volume) on
#TwentySixthAmendment
&
#YouthVote
, w powerhouse scholars, litigators, democracy practitioners, & youth joining across the country. FREE! (CLE available, at cost).
#VotingRights
Register:
This should be getting more attention 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 It's a proud day for New Jersey
@NJGov
. The first Black woman is appointed & seated to the state supreme court -- A double
@RutgersU
&
@RutgersLaw
grad, and a first generation American (just like me!) 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🇺🇲 THIS is America.
Today, history was made. Thrilled to attend the swearing in of Fabiana Pierre-Louis to the New Jersey Supreme Court – the first Black woman to be seated on the state’s highest court.
Jewish tradition is that a person who passes on Rosh Hashanah is a Tzadik - a Holy Righteous person. Not just any Holy Righteous person. Someone who exists on a different plane of existence.
#RBG
, We eat 🍎& 🍯 in your honor. We pledge to do our work, as you have done yours.
I first met
@YaelBromberg
,
@bmpugach
and Flavio Komuves just 5 months ago. While we talked, the gravity of what we were considering hit me. I asked them point blank, what’s our chance of winning a lawsuit against the political machine? Is this a Hail Mary or do we have a shot?🧵
📢 Camden is now out.
3 Counties currently remain on appeal (plus Camden County Democratic Committee). Those are: Bergen, Middlesex, Passaic.
#AbolishTheLine
Only 4 counties currently remain on appeal (plus Camden County Democratic Committee). Those are: Bergen, Camden, Middlesex, Passaic.
#AbolishTheLine
#BanTheBossBallot
"It may not rank w, say, the enactment of the modern New Jersey Constitution in 1947 or even the one-person, one-vote redesign of legislative districts in the late 60s, but it is a pivotal moment that will weaken boss rule, or force it to adapt to a new, more democratic reality."
BREAKING - We just defeated 7 motions to dismiss in our case on behalf of statewide candidates &
@NJWFP
for fair ballot design. Kudos to my fellow legal teammates
@bmpugach
& Flavio Komuves, & of course the courageous plaintiffs fighting to
#AbolishTheLine
#BanTheBossBallot
!
Just finished
@rickhasen
's 2017 scholarship on race/party polarization. Only furthers my resolve: Courts, esp our now politicized bench, won't save us anytime soon from inevitable 2020 gerrymanders & we urgently need
#HR1
's reforms for Independent Redistricting Commissions.
NEW from me: Bob Menendez is going to lose his Senate seat in New Jersey. The county party bosses who run local politics are trying to hand it to the governor's wife, ex-Republican former banker Tammy Murphy, by giving her what is known as the county line:
The domino effect has begun. You can't claim to be pro-voter and pro-democracy while propping up an immoral, unconstitutional ballot design system.
#AbolishTheLine
We need to expand + protect access on the local, state, and federal level, in both blue & red states. Youth are not commonly considered a part of a protected class of voters despite
#26thAmendment
which makes it so. Stay tuned, more on the way!
#YouthVote
#StudentVote
⤵️⤵️
The proposed rollback of NJ OPRA is abhorrent & against public interest. Now that NJ legislators have drastically diluted campaign finance reform, what do they seek to hide? Every legislator who votes for this rollback will be accounted for.
Love seeing my friend, the brilliant Clarence Jones, awarded w the Presidential Medal of Freedom today! Clarence represented MLK & smuggled his Letter from Birmingham Jail, scribbled in newspaper columns, out of jail. Also a wonderful Jewish ally & advocate.
#ShouldersOfGiants
We won in court (again) to restore an on-campus polling location at Bard College. These local election decisions are often overlooked, but have a major impact. An honor to be on the legal team representing Bard & its President, Faculty & Students.🗳️
#YouthVote
#26thAmendment
Great news today! A Dutchess County judge has again ruled in favor of voting at Bard College. The decision will keep the Bard campus voting site open for all District 5 voters, upholding the ruling from last year.
#bardcollege
Congratulations
@NJCitizenAction
on 42 yrs of leadership! I'm honored to receive NJCA's 1st inaugural Reclaiming Our Democracy Award w cocounsel for our work to
#AbolishTheLine
on behalf of
@AndyKimNJ
,
@NJWFP
, & candidates across the state. May we all Reclaim Democracy together.
Thank you
@NJCitizenAction
@mottolajaborska
. I was honored to receive the organization’s first ever Reclaiming Our Democracy Award along with my colleagues Flavio Komuves and
@YaelBromberg
! Congrats to the other honorees and thank you for your tireless advocacy!
I witnessed 200 anti-Trump protesters mass arrested on Inauguration Day, charged w 60+ yrs prison each, despite no threat of violence. The
#RightToDissent
comes down to discriminatory content-based determinations about who is and isn't a legitimate protester. cc
@Blackstarjus
IF a Black person fell asleep
and EVEN DREAMED about acting like
a white “patriot” protester,
they’d be tased & shot
as a wake up call.
@CharlesMBlow
is so right.
BREAKING:
@AndrewGoodmanF
just filed a
#TwentySixthAmendment
lawsuit challenging Wisconsin's onerous student voter ID law. Among other restrictions, the law requires that student IDs be issued every 2 yrs. (Last I checked, college was 4 yrs, at least!)
#VotingRights
#YouthVoting
@neal_katyal
I've been captivated/horrified by the bogus, pernicious equal protection arguments advanced in these cases. They're premised on the idea that another's access to the ballot causes an abridgement/dilution. They try (& fail) to flip equal protection to a voter entitlement.
NJ folks: When the counties attempt to appeal Judge Quiraishi's decision, remember that they are doing so on the taxpayer's dime. They are using YOUR $ to protect a system a Federal Judge & the NJ Attorney General say is unconstitutional.
#AbolishtheLine
.
Please share. 📢📢 Call For Papers: Rutgers Law Symposium 2021 - "Voting Rights Reform: The 26th Amendment, Youth Power, & the Potential for a Third Reconstruction"
#TwentySixthAmendment
#VotingRights
#YouthPower
Heartbroken to learn about the loss of my brilliant mentor Frank Askin. Frank co-founded the
@RutgersLaw
Constitutional Litigation Clinic w Arthur Kinoy, co-founded the school's Minority Student Program, & served as general counsel for
@ACLU
. Rest In Power, Frank!
#movementlawyer
Proud to be representing
@AndyKimNJ
in this righteous fight + courageous congressional candidates, w my legal colleagues
@bmpugach
& Flavio Komuves. We can & will restore democracy to NJ, & it will be for the history books.
#AbolishTheLine
#BallotDesign
An Essex County Democratic Committee member told me she was afraid the party boss would endorse Tammy Murphy without a vote. Spoiler alert: that's exactly what happened. Listen here:
"Candidates on 'the line' are most often incumbents or party operatives, who in NJ are overwhelmingly white despite state’s 45% pop of color ... more difficult for candidates of color to win electoral office, negatively impacting fair representation." 1/3
.
@georgiayouthco
advocates for restoration of Early On-Campus Voting Sites because they are critical for students who do not have cars and who are ready to staff the polls and volunteer as election officials. We need more access to ensure the
#YouthVote
, not less.
So excited to share this exciting online talk w leading youth democracy practitioners next Monday!
This is the launch of a 3-yr academic project w 4 institutions of higher ed (3 HBCUs) in a new course "Student Voting: Power, Politics & Race in the Fight for American Democracy."
Further on why this process must involve feedback + deliberation. *If* the law needs to be fixed, even in part, bring everyone to the table. Steamrolling for no reason & eviscerating key protections is plainly undemocratic. The process belies any arguments alleged for the bill.
Gutting OPRA is such a mistake. I’m speaking from experience when I say that 99% of OPRA issues are not from malice, but from clerks being overworked and undermanned. Give them support: more staff and better software, and nearly all issues go away.
The NY Legislature passed & delivered to Gov. Hochul to sign legislation to mandate polling places on college campuses with 300+ registered students or at a nearby site proposed by the college. This is a result of lawsuits filed by AGF &
@BardCollege
.
🔗
From my timeline,
@TIME
's cover from 2 yrs ago. Since then,
#YouthVote
boomed - 2020 was the 1st election in which the majority of voters under 30 voted; up 11 percentage points from 2016.
@TuftsIDHE
found that the
#studentvote
rate was 66%. Will Congress listen?
#VotingRightsAct
Trump calling for an election delay on the day we lay Congressman Lewis to rest is pure disrespect and just more dog-whistle politics. But it will not distract us from our mission for a fair election. "We may not have chosen the time; but the time has chosen us." Rep. John Lewis
“Voting is the beating heart of our democracy. Young people are the future of America, and with voting rights under attack across the country, we must do everything we can to ensure they can exercise their right to vote ..." said
@SenWarren
@ewarren
.
"An investment in young people's access to the ballot now is an investment in decades to follow." We are workers, tax payers, students busy with course work, and have limited mobility. "We need restoration of early on-campus voting sites."
#YouthVote
I look forward to teaching Creating Justice in Real Time (MLD 375), a social justice clinical.
Students work with client mayors from St. Louis, MO to Bristol, England & orgs from
@BlackVotersMtr
to the
@AndrewGoodmanF
.
WATCH the Preview: via
@YouTube
@ElectProject
Wonderful news! A signal to Florida taxpayers that THIS is what they are footing the bill for - common sense constitutional protections which Elected Leadership has decided to violate. More spilling of public coffers is surely to come. Congratulations, Mike + all those impacted!
“Our democracy is stronger when our youth are heard at the ballot box. Unfortunately, young citizens still face disproportionate barriers to voting. We must do more to strengthen democratic access across generations . . . ” said
@RepNikema
@NikemaWilliams
.
#YouthVotingRightsAct
Our
#AbolishTheLine
lawsuit was featured again on WNYC, this morning on The
@BrianLehrer
show. "The ballot is manipulative, it's confusing, and it harms anyone who does not have the blessing of the machine boss." -
@NancySolomon2
,
@WNYC
's NJ Reporter.
I'm so sad to say goodbye to my brilliant
@RutgersLaw
students as we wrap up in International Human Rights Law Clinic & my course Election Law & Political Process! A strong academic year, including publication of the 1st legal volume on
#TwentySixthAmendment
by
@RutgersLRev
🙌
This is a great time to pause and lift up the work of nationally recognized Georgia youth leader
@MalbroughEvan
! He started the Georgia Youth Poll Worker Project, recruiting over 1K students in GA to staff polls, & published an
@AndrewGoodmanF
Report to teach others how!