The Voting Rights Act

On August 6th, the 40^th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), over ten thousand people marched through the streets of Atlanta to honor the most effective piece of civil rights legislation and urge its reauthorization before the Act’s expiration date in 2007. Also, marchers protested a new Georgia law that strictly limits which photo identification can be used by voters coming to the polls—making it more difficult and more expensive for African American residents. That proposed legislation is just one example of how crucial the VRA is still to this day. 

The VRA ensures minority voters the right to vote by protecting against systematic racial discrimination in the electoral process. But unless Congress reauthorizes it, several important provisions will end:

• The VRA requires certain states with documented histories of voter disenfranchisement to receive federal pre-approval for all voting law changes
• The VRA allows the Attorney General to send federal examiners and poll watchers to ensure that everyone who wants to vote, can do so
• The VRA requires jurisdictions to make bilingual election materials available

For more information, read:

• Brief history of the Voting Rights Act
  
• Reasons why reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act is so critical
  
• UFCW International Secretary-Treasurer Marc Perrone’s remarks at the Voting Rights March in Atlanta
  
• Articles from the New York Times and the Washington Post:
  • In Georgia, Thousands March in Support of Voting Rights
  • Marchers Celebrate Voting Rights Act in Atlanta
  • Keeping the Polls Open