VOICE Project in Nevada
June 9, 2005 - 9:25pm
The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN) is the VOICE Project partner in the state of Nevada. PLAN’s work on this project is an outgrowth of their historic work in the 2003 Nevada legislature which resulted in the passage of AB55, a bill that restored civil rights to first-time, non-violent offenders.
Prior to passage of AB55, Nevada was a state that permanently disenfranchised all ex-felons. Since 2003, PLAN has built working relationships with county election officials, the Department of Corrections, Parole and Probation, and the Secretary of State to develop a uniform interpretation and implementation of the new civil rights law.
From late spring through the fall of 2004, PLAN was the lead voice in the state educating re-enfranchised felons about their voting rights, and assisting people with the still lengthy process of registering to vote. With radio and print ads in African American and Latino media, fliers distributed in target neighborhoods, and effective collaborations with community-based organizations, PLAN was very successful in raising visibility about the change in the law that restored voting rights to many people with past felony convictions.
