On the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, DNC Chair Tom Perez and DNC Vice Chair for Civic Engagement and Voter Participation Karen Carter Peterson released the following statements reaffirming the Democratic Party’s commitment to protecting every American’s right to cast a ballot:
“For more than half a century, the Voting Rights Act has been a central pillar of our democracy,” said Tom Perez.“Generations of activists fought for the law’s passage, endured centuries of bigotry, and some ultimately sacrificed their lives in the fight for equality at the ballot box.
“Today, those rights are under an all-out assault. Donald Trump and Republicans across the country are trying to deny millions of Americans access to the voting booth, especially in communities of color. From gerrymandering to voter roll purges to discriminatory voter ID laws, voter suppression tactics are a key part of the Republican playbook and have been for decades. And in 2013, the conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act by striking the requirement for states with a history of discrimination to have changes to their voting laws ‘pre-cleared’ by the Justice Department — a disastrous decision that has spurred a wave of new voter suppression laws from Republicans in Congress and across the country. Continue reading “DNC on Anniversary of Voting Rights Act”