Combating Voter Suppression

Under the false claim of protecting elections, voting rights opponents have weaponized the nuts and bolts of election administration to disenfranchise voters and undermine public confidence in elections. SCSJ has been at the forefront of fighting spurious claims of voter fraud as justification for changes to voting laws that disproportionately affect voters of color. We work to reduce barriers to voting and mitigate the effects of voter suppression efforts. We monitor initiatives aimed at restricting access to the ballot box and advocate against attacks on the right to vote. We provide research, communications, and educational support, as well as legal analysis, to partners across the South about the effects of various anti-voter initiatives and how to combat voter suppression. Additionally, we monitor the implementation of election laws and advocate for pro-voter interpretations of the law to mitigate the effects of anti-voter efforts and improve voter access. 

While current trends require greater intentionality when filing new cases, impact litigation remains a critical tool that our partners and clients need us to pursue and ultimately fertilizes the ground for advocacy, communications, and organizing wins. As an organization that has litigated numerous voter suppression cases, we are uniquely situated to evaluate the best avenues to secure legal victories while simultaneously maintaining our commitment to our client's best interests. Working together with directly affected individuals, we link the concerns expressed by our partners to legal issues that hinder historically disadvantaged communities from accessing power and resources. Our novel approaches to litigation that numerous groups in other states have used and even referenced in judicial opinions demonstrate the success of our community lawyering model and how changes and movements in the South have critical national implications. Additionally, any litigation must be moored in the power-building and organizing strategies of the groups we work with, effectively advancing our mission to empower communities across the South. Working with our partners across the region, we use litigation as an opportunity to provide further public education, advocacy, and communications support.