Protect the Right to Vote - Tell Congress to Restore the Voting Rights Act

After marching, bleeding, and dying in Alabama streets 50 years ago for the right to vote, the civil rights movement won the voting rights battle with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In June 2013, the US Supreme Court ripped the heart out of the Voting Rights Act when it declared a central portion of the law unconstitutional (Shelby v. Holder.)

Within hours of the decision, Alabama put in place a law requiring all voters to present government issued photo identification to vote. On October 1, 2015, the state closed 31 DMV locations, restricting access to the ability to obtain IDs. According to AL.com writer, John Archibald,

"Every single county in which blacks make up more than 75 percent of registered voters will see their driver license office closed. Every one." 

But it's not just Alabama. More than 100 bills have been introduced in states across the country that would impose barriers to voting, according to Brennan Center for Justice.

Here we are in 2015 fighting 1965 battles that impose barriers to exercise the fundamental constitutional right to vote. The ACLU of Alabama calls this practice “discriminatory and wrong.” 

Please join me in telling Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act with the Civil Rights Voting Restoration Act of 2015 (H.R. 1556, S. 457) by signing this petition.