RESEARCH FAQs: ELECTION LAW & VOTING RIGHTS

GENERAL SOURCES:

• Moritz College of Law Election Law Page: Information on federal, state and local elections. Contains e-book on election law, information on upcoming Ohio elections and ballot issues, pending election law cases, news and more.

SPECIFIC TOPICS:

• Click on the link below to access information concerning a particular election law topic.
  
  

LAWS AFFECTING VOTING RIGHTS

• Federal Laws:

• Federal Statutes:

• Title 18: Elections and Political Activities, 18 U.S.C. Ch. 29 §592-611 (includes troops at polls, intimidation of voters, voting by aliens and coercion of political activity)
  
  
• Title 42: Elective Franchise, 42 U.S.C. Ch. 20 §1971 et. seq. (includes voting rights, enforcement of voting rights, 18-year old voting, federal absentee voting, overseas citizens, accessibility for the elderly and handicapped, uniformed service voters, and voter registration)
  
  
• Title 42: The Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended in 1982: 42 U.S.C. §1973
  
  
• Title 42: Federal Election Records, 42 U.S.C. Ch. 20 §1974-1974e
  
  
• Title 47: Telephones, Telegraphs, and Radiotelephones, 47 U.S.C. §315, Candidates for public office (covers equal opportunities, censorship prohibition, station use, new appearances, public interest, and public issues discussion).

• United States Constitution:

• 14th Amendment - Guarantees equal protection and due process under the law
  
  
• 15th Amendment - Protects the rights to vote
  
  
• 19th Amendment - Guarantees the right to vote, regardless of sex
  
  
• 26th Amendment - Extended the vote to persons 18 years of age

• Federal Regulations (Code of Federal Regulations):

• 11 C.F.R. Title 11, Chapter I - Federal Election Commission (covers privacy, sunshine laws, FOIA requests, nondiscrimination on the basis of handicap, standards of conduct, campaign reform, and the Presidential Election Campaign Fund)
  
  
• 11 C.F.R. Title 11, Chapter II - Election Assistance Commission (covers FOIA requests, Sunshine Act, testimony, Privacy Act of 1974, standards of conduct, nondiscrimination on the basis of handicap, and voter registration)

• Wesberry v. Sanders, 376 U.S. 1, 17-18 (1964): "No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws under which, as good citizens, we must live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined."

• Ohio Law:

• Ohio Constitution, Art. V
  
  
• Ohio Revised Code, Title 35
  
  
• Ohio Administrative Code, Chapter 3517, Ohio Elections Commission

AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR ELECTION LAWS

• Federal Agencies:

• Federal Elections Commission - Information on campaign finance laws, caucuses, election results, voter registration, and historical voter demographics and statistics.
  
  
• U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Section - Charged with enforcing federal voting rights statutes.
  
  
• Election Assistance Commission - Among other duties, the EAC is charged with developing guidance to meet the requirements of the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

• Ohio and County Agencies:

• Ohio Elections Commission - Enforces the Ohio Revised Code and issues Advisory Opinions.
  
  
• Ohio Secretary of State: Elections and Voting - Information on voter registration, election results, historical election data and districts.
  
  
• Cuyahoga County Board of Elections - Information on voter registration, absentee voting, candidates and issues.
  
  
• Ohio Secretary of State - Elections Officials / County Board Directory

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

• Explanation from the National Archives and Records Administration
  
  
• Explanation from Encyclopedia.com

BALLOT INFORMATION

• Voting System Standards from the Federal Election Commission
  
  
• Ballotpedia - Digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections
  
  
• National Association of Secretaries of State - Information for eligible voters in all 50 states about how to cast their ballots
  
  
• National Conference of State Legislatures - Election Legislation Database

CAMPAIGN FINANCE & REFORM

• Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
  
  
• Cornell Backgrounder on the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
  
  
• The Campaign Finance Institute
  
  
• OpenSecrets.org - tracks money in U.S. politics
  
  
• Brennan Center for Justice - Voting Rights and Elections
  
  
• Penn Library - U.S. Elections Research Guide

VOTING RIGHTS AND THE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY DISABLED

• Federal Law:

• The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984, 42 U.S.C. § 1973
  
  
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.
  
  
• 11 C.F.R. Title 11, Chapter I - Federal Election Commission, Part 6 - Covers nondiscrimination on the basis of handicap.
  
  
• ADA Checklist for Polling Places
  
  
• National Voter Registration Act - Requires agencies primarily engaged in serving people with disabilities, and which receive state funds, to provide voter registration services to their consumers.

• Ohio Law:

• Ohio Constitution. Art V, § 6
  
  
• O.R.C. § 5122.301
  
  
• O.R.C. Chapter 3503

VOTER IDENTIFICATION & REGISTRATION INFORMATION

• National Conference of State Legislatures: Voter Identification Requirements
  
  
• League of Women Voters of the US
  
  
• Ohio Secretary of State, Election Services
  
  
• Cuyahoga County Board of Elections

CENSUS INFORMATION

• U.S. Census Bureau: Data Access Tools

POLITICAL PARTIES

• Democratic National Committee
  
  
• Republican National Committee
  
  
• Ohio Democratic Party
  
  
• Ohio Republican Party

LOBBYING

• Federal Statutes:

• Title 2: Disclosure of Federal Campaign Funds, 2 U.S.C. Ch. 14 §431-442
  
  
• Title 2: General Provisions, 2 U.S.C. §§451-457
  
  
• Title 26: Financing of Presidential Election Campaigns, 26 U.S.C. §§9001-9013 (covers candidates and payments, judicial review, and criminal penalties)

• Federal Regulations:

• 11 C.F.R. Title 11, Chapter I - Federal Election Commission

• Subchapter C - Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (Part 300)
  
  
• Subchapter E - Presidential Election Campaign Fund: General Election Financing (Parts 9001-9012)
  
  
• Subchapter F - Presidential Election Campaign Fund: Presidential Primary Matching Fund (Parts 9031-9039)

• U.S. House of Representatives' Office of the Clerk - Lobbying Disclosure Page
  
  
• U.S. Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act Reports

POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES (PAC's)

• Federal Election Commission: PACs, parties and other committees
  
  
• OpenSecrets.org PAC locator and Center for Responsive Politics to track money in U.S. politics
  
  
• Wikipedia's List of PAC's

POLITICAL NEWS

• FactCheck.org
  
  
• National Journal
  
  
• CNN's Politics Page

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Created on: October 20, 2003 -