I just attended a political panel called “Protecting Our Vote During the Midterm Elections” at the 15th Annual National Convention of Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN).
Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a defining advancement in the fight towards equality, ensuring that minority voters were no longer disenfranchised at the voting booth.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on a provision in the Voting Rights Act requiring states with a history of discrimination to seek permission before changing voting laws.
On Thursday, the California State Senate passed a bill to allow Election Day Registration (EDR), which will allow citizens to register to vote up to and on the day of an election.
In March, the Justice Department blocked the implementation of the Texas voter ID law, finding that the proposed legislation would effectively disenfranchise significant portions of the state’s Hispanic community.
Since 2002, almost 1000 bills dealing with voter identification issues have been introduced in the legislatures of 46 states.
