Civil Rights Leaders Demand Real Election Reform
Feature Story by Katie Drake - 4/3/2002
The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) held a press conference on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. to highlight the civil rights' community's commitment to meaningful electoral reform. The LCCR Electoral Reform Task Force, co-chaired by Wade Henderson of LCCR and Hilary Shelton of the NAACP, organized the press conference to address the pending Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001, currently before the Senate.Henderson told attendees that we need real election reform because "American Democracy demands it and the American people expect it." Other speakers included Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-MI), Raul Yzaguirre, President of the National Council of La Raza, Delatorro L. McNeal, Executive Director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Julia Beatty, President of the US Student Association (USSA), among others.
The press conference drew about 100 supporters, who held signs that read "Let's make it easier to vote, not harder" and "Want to vote? Pay $30." Similar press conferences simultaneously took place in New York and Los Angeles. Press conferences are planned for tomorrow in St. Louis and Chicago.
The Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001, to possibly be re-named the Martin Luther King Jr. Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001, has survived a myriad of setbacks and amendments. A vote of cloture, which would have ended debate and forced a final vote on the bill, failed on March 4, 2002. The future of the bill was bleak until the Senate unanimously agreed on March 22, 2002, to bring the bill up for consideration.
The main point of contention is an amendment introduced by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Senator McConnell has proposed that photo identification requirements be imposed on voters registering by mail. If they are unable to produce photo identification on Election Day, voters may bring other forms of evidence of residency such as a utility bill with their name and address.
Speakers highlighted the potential for discrimination inherent in the McConnell amendment. Raul Yzaguirre, President of the NCLR, called the amendment a "giant step in the wrong direction." He elaborated that there are 13 million Latino voters in the United States and the political parties who seek their votes should not suppress them.
Delatorro McNeal, Executive Director of PVA, detailed how the McConnell amendment affects disabled voters. Photo ID requirements present difficulties for disabled voters because most of them do not drive and therefore do not have a driver's license. The solution of instead presenting a utility bill does not solve the problem for many of the disabled, who tend to be either financially dependent on someone else or live in group homes, where they are not named on utility bills.
Julia Beatty, President of United States Students Association (USSA), cited similar obstacles for students. Many students have driver's licenses from home with a different address than the area where they live and work. In addition, many students also live with multiple roommates or in dormitories and are less likely to have a utility bill in their own name.
The disabled and students are not the only eligible voters in America who would be disenfranchised by the McConnell amendment. The amendment also affects the poor and minorities. In Washington, D.C., the price for a driver's license is thirty dollars. Those who are poor may not be able to afford any such photo identification and may therefore be turned away from a polling booth.
Another concern is that the application of the law is unregulated in the bill, giving polling places the ability to discriminately apply the requirement to certain minority groups. Instead of deterring fraud, the identification requirement acts more as a poll tax, which was defeated by civil rights activists years ago. Beatty assessed the situation: "[T]he real fraud is keeping legitimate, qualified voters from casting our ballots."
In response to the McConnell amendment, Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) proposed an amendment allowing for signature verification or attestation in place of the photo identification requirement. While Senator McConnell opposes this amendment, civil rights activists feel this is less discriminatory than the photo identification requirement. Those at the press conference urged the Senate to pass the Schumer-Wyden amendment and pass an effective electoral reform bill.
