Testifying today before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the continuing importance of the Voting Rights Act, Elisabeth MacNamara, president of the League of Women Voters of the United States, repeatedly underscored the importance of keeping our voting system free, fair and accessible to all eligible Americans.
>MacNamara pointed to the fact that since 201
Editorial Note: This piece was first published on my Huffington Post Blog earlier today.
Forty-seven years ago this week, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the historic Voting Rights Act (VRA) into law to prevent voter discrimination. But as we have seen, the law is not just history; it remains vital TODAY to ensuring that every American can cast a ballot and have it counted.
Forty-seven years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the historic Voting Rights Act (VRA) into law. But, the law is not just history; it remains critical to ensuring that every American can cast a ballot and have it counted. Even as we celebrate the VRA, unnecessary and costly new state voting laws remind us that voter suppression and intimidation tactics continue to plague our nation.
When held up to legal scrutiny, there is no evidence of voter impersonation at the polls. However, millions could be disenfranchised and lose their right to vote because of photo ID laws enacted in a number of states.
Every distinguished speaker who addressed the League’s 2012 Convention applauded the League of Women Voters for its devotion to political education and its faith that knowledge becomes power in the hands of voters. The League was urged to finish the fight to protect and empower voters.
Washington, DC (May 17, 2012) – The League of Women Voters supports the goals of the new Voter Empowerment Act introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“The right to vote is under attack in too many states across the country,” said Elisabeth MacNamara, national President of the League of Women Voters. “For example, in Florida there have been cutbacks in early voting and rigid new restrictions on community-based voter registration drives have been imposed,” she said.
