The New Role of Voter Protection in the Delegate Selection Process

Louisiana state Senator Karen Carter Peterson is the DNC Vice Chair for Civic Engagement and Voter Participation, the head of the Civic Engagement and Voter Protection Department at the DNC, and Chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party. You can follow her on Twitter at @TeamKCP.

One of our most important functions as the Democratic Party is protecting the vote. Two weeks ago, Democratic National Committee members passed a new Delegate Selection Plan, and I’m proud to say that as a part of that plan we emphasized the fundamental role of voter protection in our party in a way we never have before.

My department worked closely with ASDC President Ken Martin and DNC Member Frank Leone on the Rules and Bylaws Committee to take the recommendations from the Unity Reform Commission on voter protection and strengthen and expand them.

Now states, with assistance from the DNC, will work to build year-round voter protection programs. They will engage in educational, administrative, legislative, and litigation based efforts to protect and expand the right to voter and to advance election fairness and security. We’ve already had 30 state parties commit to doing year-round voter protection work and we’ve been working with them to develop their programs.

The new Delegate Selection Plan also includes a number of policy recommendations to expand access to the ballot. Through the plan, states are encouraged to work towards the goals of:

• Speeding up the voting process and minimizing long lines;
• Modernizing voter registration, including online voter registration and automatic and same-day voter registration;
• Eliminating onerous and discriminatory voter ID requirements;
• Restoring the voting rights to all people who have served time for their criminal convictions without requiring the payment of court fees or fines; and
• Counting ballots from voters who were eligible to vote, but cast their vote in the wrong precinct.

The new Delegate Selection Plan also includes strong recommendations on steps to take to enhance election security, including:

• Ensuring voting machines have a paper trail;
• Implementing risk-limiting, post-election audits;
• Securing the voter registration rolls;
• Ensuring voting machines have recognized security measures; and
• Using accessible and securing voting machines that make it possible for individuals with disabilities to vote securely and privately.

As a whole, the voter protection sections in our Delegate Selection Plan represent the renewed priority that the Democratic Party is placing on protecting the right of every eligible American citizen to vote and have their vote counted. We know our democracy is stronger when more people participate, which is why we’re working with our state parties ahead of 2020 to make sure we’re doing everything we can to protect and promote the vote year round.

Want to know how you can join us? Sign up to volunteer with voter protection this year or send your resume to our talent bank to work in a state party or campaign.