Aura Bogado | The Nation

When two historically black fraternities celebrated their hundredth anniversary, the members asked themselves what they could do to show their appreciation to the community that had supported them for a past century—and they decided they could help people re-elect Barack Obama. That’s what Sinclair Skinner tells me, as he leans back at the driver’s seat on the massive 1911 United bus. Sinclair, the group’s treasurer, says that because fraternities are limited by their 501C(7) status, members wanted to take advantage of the Citizens United ruling to get out the vote. So they formed a Super PAC.

Yesterday, I wrote about the way that religious communities are supporting UndocuBus as it make its way towards Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention. But the riders are also connecting with undocumented workers and students who personally know the perils of living in the South without papers. Here’s a dispatch from Asheville, North Carolina, where UndocuBus has staged rallies and actions against anti-immigrant enforcement.

If you look closely at Carlos Mendoza’s wrists, you can’t help but notice the scars that cover them, straight up through his arms. The 46-year-old father of three fell from a second-story roof in 2006, and when he arrived in the emergency room, he was told both his hands might have to be amputated.

After an initial emergency surgery saved his hands, the hospital learned he was uninsured. When administrators asked to call his boss to see about covering the costs of additional surgeries, the company Mendoza worked for told the hospital they had never heard of him. After several phone calls, the boss told administrators that Mendoza was a contractor, and that although they would donate $500 for the medical care, his company wasn’t legally bound to help him. In total, Mendoza’s bills added up to about $40,000—and his hands’ limited mobility meant that it was unlikely that he would ever return to work.

The Republican National Convention now includes an amendment supporting voter ID. The language was added by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach—who has long intellectually authored anti-immigrant and voter-suppression legislation. As the Wichita Eagle reports, the party’s new platform mirrors “a controversial law that goes into effect” in Kobach’s state next year.

As tropical storm Issac remains a potential threat to next week’s convention in Tampa, we’ll keep an eye not just on the convention but on voting rights, too. If you’re looking for some worthwhile reading that explains the Republican National Convention’s ties to a dubiously named group called True the Vote, make sure to read Brentin Mock’s investigative report. In the meanwhile, here are some more of this week’s voting rights updates.

DOJ Backs Virginia’s Voter ID

This week marks the forty-seventh anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. A lot has changed since then. A new app called Election Protection was released yesterday that allows voters to register, find their polling locations, and report problems. Voters around the nation are already familiar with the Election Protection program, which has long fielded complaints from voters on Election Day. The increased used of smartphones, along with the increased move to suppress votes, makes the app a must-have this election season. Here are updates from some key states in which constituents are already worried about their vote.

Michigan Voters Turned Away at the Polls
We’re watching primary elections this season to get a sense of the shenanigans that might occur on Election Day. Well, it’s already started in Michigan. You might recall that Governor Rick Snyder vetoed a bill last month that would have required voters to mark a checkbox indicating their US citizenship—expressly because he didn’t want voters to feel confused. Michigan Live is reporting that not only did Secretary of State Ruth Johnson issue ballots that included the checkbox but that there was indeed some major confusion over it at the polls this week. Election Protection, which unveiled the smartphone app mentioned earlier, says they received complaints from throughout the state, and that “several voters where turned away.”