Megan Lewis | Institute for Medical Engineering and Science Publication Date April 2, 2021 Press Inquiries Caption Using wide-field images and deep learning, researchers developed an analysis system of suspicious pigmented skin lesions for more effective and efficient skin cancer detection. Lorsque vous utilisez nos sites et applications, nous utilisons des, authentifier les utilisateurs, appliquer des mesures de scurit, empcher les spams et les abus; et. This report reviews existing medical literature on risk factors for COVID-19, political science research on congestion during voting, and evidence of the public health impacts of the 2020 primary elections to create urgent policy recommendations for the November general election. Republicans in Florida and Georgia, for example, limited or prohibited the use of mail-in ballot drop boxes, widely used in 2020 to ensure ballots made it back to election offices in time. In August 2022, the lawsuit says, New Venture Funds legal counsel announced that it no longer fiscally sponsors Voting Rights Lab, although the latter is still listed as a trade name on New Ventures public filings with the District of Columbia. Download the 16-page PDF here. DC-based Protect Democracy purchased 68 copies of the Kansas voter registration file since 2020 for its VoteShield project much more often than all other groups involved in Kansas politics. Georgia activists warn Biden against a photo op visit that lacks voting rights plan, Get the latest updates on voting rights in the Guardians Fight to vote newsletter, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Megan Lewis is a former lobbyist and the co-founder and executive director of the left-of-center Voting Rights Lab. 3, The Voting Rights Lab brands itself as a campaign hub designed to supercharge the fight against voter suppression, and to transform our voting systems. It partners with organizations across the country to build state legislative and ballot initiative campaigns aimed at advancing left-of-center electoral policy changes. Remote job for candidate who will work with regional directors to develop and drive communications plans, draft press releases and letters to the editor, and provide support to in-state campaign partners. When they sign up, they get up to 30% off, and you get a free month worth $24.95! We support the principles of individual liberty, a free market economy and limited constitutional government: These are the cornerstones of American society. An activist holds a sign reading Equal voting rights in every state in Washington DC in November 2021. according to the Brennan Center for Justice. The analysis finds that Black voters are among the populations most at risk from COVID-19 infection and death, and are also more likely to experience longer lines, extended wait times, and poll crowding on Election Day. Around the same time as Walkers initial suspension, the leaders of Secure Democracy completely dissolved it as a legal entity. Thats just wrong, said Wayne Thorley, Nevadas deputy secretary of state for elections. Its unclear how this organization might be related to the New Venture Fund and Voting Rights Lab. Martin Morse Wooster: Martins Genuine Civic Participation, Martin Morse Wooster: Big Martin vs. Big Philanthropy. The Voting Rights Lab is a campaign hub designed to supercharge the fight against voter suppression and transform our voting systems. Sarah Walker is a government affairs consultant who until recently worked as vice president of advocacy for the election reform groups Secure Democracy, a 501(c)(4) lobbying group, and Voting Rights Lab, a front for the 501(c)(3) New Venture Fund. Offer campaign partners with communication support, oversee company social media accounts. Nearly 1% of absentee ballots cast 318,000 of 33 million were rejected in the 2016 general election, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Under New Venture Funds fiscal sponsorship, Voting Rights Lab co-founders Megan Lewis and Samantha Tarazi allegedly lied to staff that they would be eligible for disability and life insurance when they werent eligible for such benefits. Election officials often wield tremendous power to set rules. 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According to Walkers complaint, after she spoke up about the continued discrimination and tax-status violations, New Venture Fund and Secure Democracy swiftly retaliated against her by first placing Walker on administrative leave in November 2021 and firing her less than a year later. The second bill, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, would restore a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, requiring places where there is repeated evidence of recent voting . What we are witnessing in real time across the country is a widening divide, whereby some states are working to strengthen and expand participation in our democracy just as a significant number of states work to curtail it.. Yes. The act would address a 2013 . req. The Arabella network also runs a fleet of pop-up groups, or websites designed to look like grassroots organizations that are really just fronts for DC dark money. Voting Rights Lab is one such pop-up created in 2018 to fight voter ID laws, expand early voting, oppose efforts to clean up states voter rolls, and conduct vote-by-mail polling research for the left-wing National Vote at Home Institute. Republicans in 19 states passed 34 laws restricting ballot access last year and they're just getting started. Our team includes nationally-recognized subject matter experts on election security, including post-election audits and election technology. Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. There has been growing criticism of the filibuster from Democrats, who say Republicans have weaponized it into a tool of obstruction. One measure is the Freedom to Vote Act, which would overhaul rules for federal elections and set an expansive baseline for voter access. And more changes could still come, as several state legislatures remain in session. The House of Representatives voted 220-203, with all Democrats in support and all Republicans opposed, Thursday morning to pass a new voting rights bill called the Freedom to Vote: John R.. There have been aggressive negotiations to get both senators to support tweaking but not eliminating the filibuster. A virtual organization, theVoting Rights Lab employs remote team members across the country. The movement on the state level comes as two bills moving through Congress face long odds at getting through the narrowly divided Senate. Remote during pandemic. Voting rights shouldn't be a partisan issue. Communities of color that have already been devastated by the pandemic are more likely to have to wait in long lines at polling locations," said Megan Lewis, executive director of Voting Rights Lab. Now North Carolina historically the site of some of our nations most shameful race-based voter suppression efforts appears poised to join their ranks. . Will conduct interviews, improve recruitment systems, build candidate pool, post job descriptions and provide expertise. 1+ years' related recruiting experience required. Much of the shaken confidence is because Trump continues to claim without evidence that the election was rigged. "Today, old battles have become new again as we face the most pernicious assault on the right to vote in generations. Two non-white employees were reportedly not given that option. Life is stressful. Some states also imposed new identification requirements for voters both when they request and return a ballot, despite no evidence of widespread fraud. Cofounded by Megan Lewis and Sam Tarazi, the Voting Rights Lab is a nonprofit political organization. The solution to preventing voter disenfranchisement isnt to stop mail voting but to close those loopholes [and] ensure that people are not losing their votes because of either technical problems or mistakes or postal delays, Weiser said. Public filings reveal that this successor group and Arabellas New Venture Fund entered into an agreement with [Secure Democracy] to acquire SDs assets and liabilities. (Secure Democracy USA is also listed as a defendant in Mrs. Walkers lawsuit.). The DC governments business entity search shows Voting Rights Lab is a trade name of the New Venture Fund. . Tangled, Dark-Money Web of Congressional Integrity Project, This article shows Democratic strategists involved in the Congressional Integrity Project are part of a tangled, dark-money web. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Election administration in the US has long been seen as a non-partisan job run by under-the-radar officials. Secure Democracy and the Voting Rights Lab leadership constantly reminded [Walker] of her racial identity. She was made to act as an unofficial race coach for Liz Avore, the groups white vice president of law and policy, who struggled to supervise her two direct reports, who were Black females., This obsession with race and racial dynamics directly affected Avores job performance, who reportedly chalked up an African-American employees poor work quality to Walkers racial microaggressions against her. Its unclear what changes, if any, Manchin and Sinema support. Would anyone feel more comfortable about the Voting Rights Lab knowing they wanted to help Green Bay, Wisconsin cure ballots in the Nov. 2020 general election? Our weekly mental wellness newsletter can help. The Senate vote blocked a measure that combined voting rights bills, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which sought to restore provisions in the Voting Rights. Because there are not 10 Republicans who support the voting rights bills, Democrats have been unable to move either. Voting Rights Lab corporate office is located in United States and has 23 employees. On Wednesday the Voting Rights Lab released A Review of 2021-22 and a First Look at 2023: The State of State Election Law report. Court rulings have been mixed, with some judges in favor of making it easier to have ballots counted and some backing legal precedent that voting laws shouldnt be changed close to an election. CRC respects confidentiality and will not share your e-mail address. Anthony Dale. Full-time position. Republicans also point to polling showing that voter ID is broadly supported, and to record high turnout as evidence voter suppression isnt really a problem. New Venture and Arabellas additional four in-house nonprofits are fueled by grants from the Lefts wealthiest foundations, donors, and special interests. May 26 Since the 2020 election, we have seen 16 states improve their early voting systems. , Hayden Ludwig, Capital Research Center, Nov. 2022. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. We will notify you by email when your friend (or friends) sign up for FlexJobs and you will get a free month. 16 Christian LoBue of the Voting Rights Lab spoke at a panel titled Combatting Voter Suppression A Case Study on TX SB9 in January 2020 at the National LGBTQ Task Forces Creating Change Conference, and discussed how Voting Rights Lab worked to defeat the bill. Megan DeSmedt Senior People & Operations Leader Greater Philadelphia 1K followers 500+ connections Join to connect Voting Rights Lab The College of William and Mary About Experienced senior. Two landmark billsthe Senate's Freedom to Vote Act and the House's John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Actwere merged to form the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, which the House . In Arizona, a presidential election battleground, a district court ruled last month that the state must give voters who failed to sign their absentee ballot five business days after the election to fix the mistake. For press inquiries: press@votingrightslab.org, For general inquiries: hello@votingrightslab.org, North Carolina: The Next Front in the Voting Wars, No-Alternative Photo ID vs. Voter ID: Lessons from the First Election Law to Pass in 2023, New Year, New Laws: The Post-2020 Election Laws Taking Effect January 2023, The State of State Election Law Since 2020, Democracy on the Ballot: The Fate of 2022 Voting-Related Ballot Initiatives, The Process Continues: Election Administration After Election Day, Mail Voting: States Trending in Opposite Directions Ahead of 2022 Midterms, The Lasting Impacts of the 2020 Election: Voting Early In Person and Casting Mail Ballots, The Lasting Impacts of the 2020 Election: Voter Registration, Voter List Maintenance, and Mail Ballot Applications, Implementation Repercussions: August Primaries and the Impact of New Election Laws, The Markup: Weekly Election Legislation Update for Monday, February 27, The Markup: Weekly Election Legislation Update for Tuesday, February 21, The Markup: Weekly Election Legislation Update for Monday, February 13, The Markup: Weekly Election Legislation Update for Monday, February 6, The Markup: Weekly Election Legislation Update for Monday, January 30, The Markup: Weekly Election Legislation Update for Monday, January 23, The Markup: Weekly Election Legislation Update for Tuesday, January 17, The Markup: Weekly Election Legislation Update for Monday, January 9, The Markup: Weekly Election Legislation Update for Monday, December 19, The Markup: Weekly Election Legislation Update for Monday, December 12. Remote role with some travel required. The report analyzes the potential for COVID-19 to disproportionately impact communities of color in November. These states will probably decide if Joe Biden or President Trump wins the election. Home-based position. Lawmakers in Georgia passed measures that prohibit providing food or water to people standing in line to vote. Though experts say voter fraud is rare, Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that mail ballots will lead to widespread cheating, while also encouraging his supporters in some states to request absentee ballots. At least six to eight years' law and policy experience is a must. LoBue previously worked as associate director of campaigns and constituencies for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Voting rights groups point out that while turnout was up in 2020, there are still persistent gaps between white and non-white voters. 12, The premier outward-facing project of the Voting Rights Lab is their State Voting Rights Tracker which consists of detailed analyses of voting laws and voting accessibility in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and provides real time legislative tracking. Assists with the design and management of legislative campaigns, oversees contract lobbyists, and builds relationships with legislators. The salary will be $64k-$75k. The 68th copy was due to be delivered today to Protect Democracy, which was the 27th weekly file ordered on May 23, well before t, This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. There are more opportunities to get tripped up and to have your ballot not counted in mail voting than in in-person voting, said Wendy Weiser, the vice president for democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice. All Rights Reserved. Members of the Rev. TheVoting Rights Lab partners with organizations throughout the United States to build winning campaigns for state legislative and ballot initiatives. 7, Sam Tarazi is a co-founder and chief program officer of the Voting Rights Lab. megan lewis voting rights lab. But experts are concerned this new trend, which some call election subversion, could lead to partisan meddling. Oddly, in their 2020 IRS 990 the North Fund sent $6,736,650 to Future Forward USA Action also at 611 Pennsylvania Ave SE Suite 143 the same as Voting Rights Lab! 1973) is amended by adding at the end the fol-7 lowing: 8 ''(c) VOTING ON INDIAN LANDS. 9 ''(1) TRIBAL REQUESTS FOR POLLING PLACES; 10 POLLING PLACE . January 7, 2022. The 2020 IRS 990 says 611 Pennsylvania Ave SE #143, but the 2021 IRS 990 mentions no number. Texas lawmakers were considering a bill that would have restricted voting in a number of ways, but Democrats walked out of the chamber and denied Republicans a quorum, effectively killing the bill as the final minutes of the session ticked away. According to the lawsuit, Secure Democracy was established in 2018 . She told authorities that her ex-husband's murder "was probably a drug deal that had gone bad and that he was involved in the distribution of drugs," said Ramos. Yet roughly two weeks later, the group was reincarnated as a separate 501(c)(4) nonprofit called Secure Democracy USA in mid-November 2021. After Republicans stymied action on the legislation on Wednesday night, Democrats made a last-ditch bid to alter the Senate's filibuster rules and allow the voting rights measure to move. 167, OK H.B. You should worry, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits. A record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail in the November general election because of the pandemic and a record number may have their ballots rejected over signature issues. All Rights Reserved. Its not a sample or a random pick of ballots that we do; its every single one. Nevada codified its existing signature verification policies in an election bill passed in August. Of those, nearly half werent counted because of a missing signature or a mismatch. Secure Democracy was headed by Heather Smith, who until recently led the liberal voter registration nonprofit Rock the Vote. Must be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Walker, the sole non-white vice president, claims that despite her senior position she was given little insight into [Secure Democracys] budget and barred from access to payroll information, so she did not know who was actually on SDs [Secure Democracys] payroll.. The associate director will lead the organization's research and message polling projects, provide messaging guidance, and prepare reports. We'll send you high-quality insights about the shifting landscape of voting and election laws. Lewis previously worked as the executive vice president of Everytown for Gun Safety, a lobbying group founded by former New York Mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg that advocates for gun control measures. Lewis previously served as the Executive Vice President of Everytown for Gun Safety, where Tarazi served as Chief Engagement Officer. A federal judge temporarily blocked the agreement this month, and county election officials have been told to neither accept nor reject ballots with missing witness signatures until the case is resolved. A mail-in official ballot return envelope for the 2020 general election is shown in Havertown, Pa. The bill, named after the late Georgia representative, would restore a . The John Lewis Act might well offer the best chance of new national legislation protecting the right to vote in America, and its significance is best seen in historical context, especially that. Following the 2020 election, an onslaught of election-related legislation has pulled the nation in two directions, with some states working to expand ballot access and others passing legislation to restrict it. 15, The Voting Rights Lab fought against anti-election fraud legislation in Texas that would have increased the penalties for making a false statement on a voter registration application and tightened laws around mail-in ballots. According to the report, obtained by The Daily Beast, as of June 13, of the 2,200 bills introduced across the country, 71 measures that expand voting access have been signed into law in 28 states. But cases involving missing signatures or witness requirement have been more complicated. the voting rights lab. But Speaker Nancy Pelosi dashed any hopes of prioritizing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in the House, saying in a letter to Democratic colleagues on Tuesday that "H.R. GOP critics said that essentially invalidated the witness signature requirement. They range from a new law in Arizona that threatens election officials with felony prosecution if. The problem is that two Democrats, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, staunchly support leaving the filibuster in place. Now with midterms underway, election administrators and voters alike find themselves navigating complex changes to the voting process. Manage all aspects of human resources. States that opt to separate federal and state elections would likely see lower voter turnout and engagement, said Megan Bellamy, vice president of law and policy for the Voting Rights Lab, a nonprofit organization that tracks and analyzes voting-related legislation nationwide. Neither the web page or PDF shows contact information. The bill was aimed at fighting voter suppression and restoring important parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, but in a 50-49 tally of the procedural vote, the Senate put it down citing that the . The Democratic response is built around two pieces of federal legislation. Republicans have also taken up measures to exert control over who runs elections and counts. Now Republicans have blocked legislation to restore the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, named after civil rights icon John Lewis, who was beaten and nearly died marching for voting rights . It also would prevent the removal without cause of elections officials. We do signature verification on every single mail ballot that comes back, said Thorley. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), the UCLA Voting Rights Project, and Voting Rights Lab (VRL) have released a report from medical experts, political scientists, and voting rights advocates entitled Protecting Public Health in the 2020 Election. The first-of-its-kind report brings together political science data with public health insights on the spread of COVID-19 to conclude that the safety of in-person voting during the 2020 elections depends on expanding absentee voting, eliminating polling place congestion, and reducing wait times at polling stations. The proliferation of state legislation curtailing access to the polls, undermining the authority of election officials, and injecting partisanship into election administration make one thing clear: we need continued vigilance and activism in support of our democratic ideals at the state-level, she said in a statement. Cofounded by Megan Lewis and Sam Tarazi, theVoting Rights Lab is a nonprofit political organization. Its unclear how this organization might be related to the New Venture Fund and Voting Rights Lab. It's no secret that voter ID is a third rail when it comes to voting and elections policy. In nearly 40 states, election officials check the signatures on the ballot envelopes that voters send back against the ones on file usually from voter registration forms or motor vehicle departments. Average voting intention of 18-34s from most recent Opinium, Survation, IpsosMORI polls: Con 24 Lab 48 LD 9 Grn 11. twitter.