By Paul R. Pace While every election matters, the November 2022 midterms are imperative because human rights like voting, reproductive health and LGBTQIA+—issues central to social work’s mission and values—are in deep jeopardy. In some states, these rights are explicitly on the ballot, says Tanya Rhodes Smith, instructor in residence and director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political ... Read More »
Tag Archives: Voting Rights
Mobilizing Social Work’s Vision and Voice through Voting
Social workers have a long tradition of social justice and political advocacy – to include working to expand and protect voting rights and promote voter registration. Our essential work on behalf of protecting voting rights is needed now more than ever. The right to vote was hard won and still remains tenuous for historically vulnerable and under-represented communities. More than ... Read More »
NASW disappointed Senate fails to pass Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is deeply disappointed by Senate gridlock and failure to pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. All 50 Republican Senators along with Democratic Senators Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia obstructed the path for progress on voting rights, by voting against a rule change that would allow a vote ... Read More »
NASW West Virginia in unique position to help support voting rights
By Sam Hickman, MSW Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers West Virginia Chapter The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) West Virginia Chapter, and the other state advocacy groups, are cognizant of our state’s unique position in current national politics, and our role in passing several major pieces of federal legislation. In particular, we are working through multiple ... Read More »
Suppressing Voter Suppression
April 30, 2021 About Social Work Responds The Association of Social Work Boards, the Council on Social Work Education, and the National Association of Social Workers are committed to collaborating on the range of issues affecting the social work profession and the people and communities we serve. Follow Up The CSWE Commission on Educational Policy and Commission on Accreditation released ... Read More »
Voter Suppression Legislation is Being Weaponized in many States
By Mel Wilson, MBA, LCSW NASW Senior Policy Advisor, Social Justice and Human Rights The 2020 national election is four months behind us. In normal times, the outcomes of the presidential election would have been a settled matter with the newly elected President Biden preparing for his State of the Union address knowing he had won the Electoral College and ... Read More »
The For the People Act would help end “dark money,” corruption in voting process
By Mel Wilson, MBA, LCSW NASW Senior Policy Advisor, Social Justice and Human Rights Leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 4 reintroduced the For the People Act (H.R. 1). This legislation, the first bill introduced in the 117th Congress, reaffirms the commitment of leadership and most members of the House to getting rid of “dark money” and ... Read More »
Voting Rights Update: Concerns about Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity
Vice President Mike Pence on July 19 chaired the first meeting of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. The 15-member commission is co-chaired by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and commonly referred to as the Pence-Kobach Commission. The commission’s mission is to “study the registration and voting processes used in federal elections.” Specifically, President Donald Trump’s contention is ... Read More »
Voting Rights Update
The national elections are just over a month away. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) supports voting rights and is part of a coalition pressing Congress to restore voting rights dismantled by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. NASW is also part of a Rock the Vote voter registration campaign with Social Work Helper Magazine, the American Academy of Social ... Read More »
#SWRocktheVote — How NASW Michigan is registering voters
By Allan Wachendorfer The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Michigan Chapter started a voter registration drive this fall and issued free voter registration packets to social workers and students who requested them. Each packet contained information on doing a drive; 25, 50, or 100 blank forms, pre-paid envelopes to send the filled forms to county clerks; and a questionnaire ... Read More »