On 50th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act, NCLR Urges Congress to Restore Vital Voting Protections

On 50th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act, NCLR Urges Congress to Restore Vital Voting Protections

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act (VRA), landmark legislation which would serve as the single most important tool for eradicating and preventing widespread voting discrimination against minority voters. For decades, the VRA blocked states from establishing discriminatory voting laws and practices until the Supreme Court struck down the act’s federal review provisions two years ago in Shelby County v. Holder. As we reflect on the 50th anniversary of this historic piece of legislation, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) calls on Congress to restore and expand upon vital voting protections for minority communities by passing the “Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015,” legislation that would require federal monitoring of changes to voting practices in states with a history of discriminating against minority voters.

“Fifty years after the VRA was passed, this nation has returned to a dangerous point in the road with regard to voting rights. The decision in Shelby County v. Holder could wipe away five decades of progress that this country has made toward eliminating voter suppression laws and ensuring that voting practices in this country do not prevent minorities from casting a ballot,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR. “In 2015 alone, over 100 bills imposing voter restrictions were introduced in more than 30 states throughout the nation. Although these bills are wholly unnecessary and violate our citizens’ rights, it will be undeniably tougher to strike them down without a fully restored VRA.”

In 2014, there were more than 25 million Hispanic eligible voters in the United States, with another 900,000 U.S.-born Hispanics turning 18 and becoming eligible to vote every year. According to the Census Bureau, nearly one-third of Hispanic eligible voters live in jurisdictions that were required under the VRA to undergo federal review of changes to voting practices.

“If we are to remain a nation that prides itself on ensuring that our citizens have the right to fully participate in the electoral process, then we must strengthen voting protections for groups, such as Latinos, who have historically been disenfranchised,” added Murguía. “Our precious right to vote is the basic foundation upon which our democracy is built; we cannot regress to a time when people were turned away at the ballot box because of the color of their skin.”

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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