The League – A Recognized Foe of Voter ID Laws

Didn’t want you to miss this recent article in the National Journal! League President Elisabeth MacNamara and Senior Elections Director Jeanette Senecal are among the “foes” in this piece on how the “Foes of Voter ID Laws Find Ways to Mute Their Impact.”

The article highlights voter suppression fights and fighters across the country, while noting that 11 states have passed voter ID laws in the past two years!  The most recent addition to the foes of voter ID laws is Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, who crossed party lines and vetoed three voting laws, including the one that would have tightened voter ID requirements.  In the article, both MacNamara and Senecal underscored the League’s strong commitment and work toward diminishing the impact of the myriad voting rules that have been pushed forward in state legislatures nationwide.

The League’s continuing Voter Protection work and its election year Power the Vote activities speak loudly and clearly for us, but it’s really nice to have media like the National Journal also highlight our work.

Noting how cumbersome and intimidating the current nationwide patchwork of rules are for voters in groups that are historically underrepresented, MacNamara said, “The mere fact that these laws exist can be intimidating and discourage folks. The fact they are the least heard and rarely listened to is very disturbing.” She noted that each fight must be waged on a case-by-case basis and is a drain on time and resources with no immediate end in sight to these battles. Senecal echoed this fact: “No matter which party is in power, I think people are intent on keeping their power and utilize the system to win their elections. It will always be necessary to defend voters.”

Have you engaged in fighting discriminatory voting laws in your state? Share your story with us, and join the Leagues in your state to help protect the right vote and to make democracy work.