National Voting Rights Institute
Encyclopedia
The National Voting Rights Institute (NVRI) was a non-partisan, non-profit advocacy organization based in Boston, which described itself as committed to making real the promise of American democracy that meaningful political participation and power should be accessible to all regardless of economic or social status. NVRI was founded in 1996 by attorney John Bonifaz
and was involved with campaign finance reform, and other election reforms, as well as defense of voting rights. In 2006, NVRI signed a formal affiliation agreement with the New York based organization Demos (US think tank) and works in collaboration with Dēmos on many of its projects.
NVRI was lead counsel or co-counsel in a series of lawsuits in the late 1990s and early 2000s arguing that reasonably drawn political campaign spending limits do not violate the U.S. Constitutional protections of free speech. This campaign was a part of the larger campaign finance reform
field. The campaign came to an end when the Supreme Court in June 2006 struck down Vermont’s campaign spending limits law in the case Randall v. Sorrell
. NVRI was co-counsel with the state of Vermont in defending that law. The Supreme Court had in 1976 struck down congressional campaign spending limits in the Buckley v. Valeo
case. In the summer of 2009, the National Voting Rights Institute formally dissolved, all of its programs having been adopted by Dēmos.
John Bonifaz
John C. Bonifaz is a Boston-based attorney and political activist specializing in constitutional law and voting rights, and founder of the National Voting Rights Institute. He is also a former candidate for Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth...
and was involved with campaign finance reform, and other election reforms, as well as defense of voting rights. In 2006, NVRI signed a formal affiliation agreement with the New York based organization Demos (US think tank) and works in collaboration with Dēmos on many of its projects.
NVRI was lead counsel or co-counsel in a series of lawsuits in the late 1990s and early 2000s arguing that reasonably drawn political campaign spending limits do not violate the U.S. Constitutional protections of free speech. This campaign was a part of the larger campaign finance reform
Campaign finance reform
Campaign finance reform is the common term for the political effort in the United States to change the involvement of money in politics, primarily in political campaigns....
field. The campaign came to an end when the Supreme Court in June 2006 struck down Vermont’s campaign spending limits law in the case Randall v. Sorrell
Randall v. Sorrell
Randall v. Sorrell, 548 U.S. 230 , is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States involving a Vermont law which placed a cap on financial donations made to politicians. The court ruled that Vermont's law, the strictest in the nation, unconstitutionally hindered the citizens' First...
. NVRI was co-counsel with the state of Vermont in defending that law. The Supreme Court had in 1976 struck down congressional campaign spending limits in the Buckley v. Valeo
Buckley v. Valeo
Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States upheld a federal law which set limits on campaign contributions, but ruled that spending money to influence elections is a form of constitutionally protected free speech, and struck down portions of the law...
case. In the summer of 2009, the National Voting Rights Institute formally dissolved, all of its programs having been adopted by Dēmos.