NCLR Applauds Introduction of “Voting Rights Advancement Act”

NCLR APPLAUDS INTRODUCTION OF “VOTING RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT ACT”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Yesterday, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate introduced the “Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015” (VRAA), legislation that would require federal monitoring of changes to voting practices in states with a history of discriminating against minority voters. The Supreme Court left millions of eligible voters without protection from voting rights discrimination two years ago when it struck down the federal review provisions of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder. The VRAA, introduced by Sens. Chris Coons (D–Del.), Dick Durbin (D–Ill.) and Patrick Leahy (D–Vt.) and Reps. Judy Chu (D–Calif.), John Lewis (D–Ga.), Linda Sanchez (D–Calif.) and Terri Sewell (D–Ala.), not only restores essential voting rights protections but also expands the use of federal review to ensure the integrity of the voting franchise in the context of America’s increasingly diverse electorate.

“The troubling Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder eliminated critical voting rights protections, leaving too many voters, including Latinos, vulnerable to discrimination in the election process. In fact, in the two years since that decision, we have seen an uptick in measures designed to make it harder for eligible Americans to vote. It is clear that we have not yet put our history of voter suppression or discrimination behind us,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza). “We thank these members of Congress for their commitment to ensuring that everyone’s vote is counted, regardless of where they live. NCLR fully supports this sensible legislation, which protects the legitimacy of our democracy. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this bill to avoid the ramifications of holding the first presidential election without voting rights protections in place since passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.”

NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

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