JurisTalk | The Comparative Constitutional Politics of Voter Suppression

JurisTalk | The Comparative Constitutional Politics of Voter Suppression

Categories: Lectures and Seminars | Intended for

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

2:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Add to calendar

D492 Loeb Building

1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON

Contact Information

Prof. Zoran Oklopcic, x. 1282, zoran.oklopcic@carleton.ca

Registration

No registration required.

Cost

Free

About this Event

Host Organization: Department of Law and Legal Studies, Jurisprudence Centre
More Information: Please click here for additional details.

with Prof. Michael Pal, Faculty of Law – Common Law Section, University of Ottawa

In this presentation, Prof. Pal argues that voter suppression should be understood as a comparative phenomenon and trace the constitutional politics of the practice. Voter suppression involves deliberate attempts to craft electoral laws so as to dissuade or prevent citizens from casting ballots in elections. Voter suppression stands as a staple of political and legal contestation in the United States, centering particularly in recent years around restrictive voter identification rules and the Voting Rights Act. Despite attempts at voter suppression by governments in other democracies, including prominently in recent years in Canada with the Fair Elections Act, as well as in India, South Africa, and Australia, the practice has received little scholarly attention outside of the United States. Prof. Pal argues that voter suppression must be understood as a problem plaguing democracies generally and consider the implications for democratic practice, constitutional design, and judicial review of election laws.

This event is in association with FPA Research Month