We Must Stop Voter Suppression
By Robert Reich
A crowning achievement of the historic March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his “I have a dream” speech, was pushing through the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Recognizing the history of racist attempts to prevent Black people from voting, that federal law forced a number of southern states and districts to adhere to federal guidelines allowing citizens access to the polls.
But in 2013 the Supreme Court effectively gutted many of these protections. As a result, states are finding new ways to stop more and more people—especially African-Americans and other likely Democratic voters—from reaching the polls.
Several states are requiring government-issued photo IDs—like drivers licenses—to vote even though there’s no evidence of the voter fraud this is supposed to prevent. But there’s plenty of evidence that these ID measures depress voting, especially among communities of color, young voters, and lower-income Americans.
Alabama, after requiring photo IDs, has practically closed driver’s license offices in counties with large percentages of black voters. Wisconsin requires a government-issued photo ID but hasn’t provided any funding to explain to prospective voters how to secure those IDs.
Other states are reducing opportunities for early voting.
And several state legislatures—not just in the South—are gerrymandering districts to reduce the political power of people of color and Democrats, and thereby guarantee Republican control in Congress.
We need to move to the next stage of voting rights—a new Voting Rights Act—that renews the law that was effectively repealed by the conservative activists on the Supreme Court.
That new Voting Rights Act should also set minimum national standards—providing automatic voter registration when people get driver’s licenses, allowing at least 2 weeks of early voting, and taking districting away from the politicians and putting it under independent commissions.
Voting isn’t a privilege. It’s a right. And that right is too important to be left to partisan politics. We must not allow anyone’s votes to be taken away.
This post originally ran on Robert Reich’s website.
[…] many states, voter registration list purges are on the rise. Voter suppression is a common problem in Southern states, but most states are subject to some voters that are still […]
We the American CITIZENS of all parties and all colors have the rights to vote no matter weather we are black or brown. it is our right and nobody has the rights to take that away from us.
ALL LIVES MATTER
Thank you for educating the public about voter suppression and the gerrymandering of partisan politics reversing the 1965 Voters Act. I had a gut feeling there was something wrong happening- targeting campaigns to the civilian court cases like some unspoken fight club of the middle class, corrupting basic human rights to life & liberty by racially targeting specific demographics & tax brackets. Is that the Supreme Courts solution- to remain fiscally objective until the party with the least money gets bought out of ongoing blocks frameworked by manipulating agendas supporting those doing wrong rather than the generations that have worked hard to do the right thing. Districting based on race and hard work victimizes the leaders slaving away to keep the corporate elite operational. I will definitely vote because I will never mistake my rights for lost privileges in the face of lobbyists or lawlessness.