Rio Texas Methodist Federation for Social Action

League of Women Voters:  STOP VOTER SUPPRESSION

Across the country, there has been a concerted effort in many states to stop some voters from voting, or to make it much harder for them to participate – and  there promises to be more to come in 2017. Legislators and election officials have purged existing voters from the rolls, made cuts to early voting, reduced polling places, put in place strict voter photo ID laws and levied onerous voter registration restrictions.

All of these actions have been made easier by the Supreme Court’s decision to gut key provisions of the Voting Rights Act in 2013. The 2016 election was the first presidential election in 50 years without full protection of the right to vote.

The League remains committed to fighting suppression tactics that threaten our democracy and the right to vote. In addition, throughout 2016, the League worked to make sure voters impacted by new laws were aware of these restrictions. In Ohio, the League made thousands of phone calls to inform voters about that state’s purge. In Virginia, the League conducted outreach so voters knew how the state’s new voter photo ID law might affect them. In Kansas, the League fought tirelessly to protect the rights of voters caught in the crosshairs of the state’s illegal and discriminatory attempts to restrict voter registration Across the country, thousands of League volunteers served as non-partisan poll observers, staffed voter protection hotlines, and made sure get-out-the-vote phone banks reached as many voters as possible.

The League is gearing up to take a stand in Congress, statehouses and courtrooms nationwide to ensure no voters are left behind. Stand with the League in our fight to ensure our elections are always free, fair, and accessible.