The decision involved one of a series of laws enacted in Republican-governed states requiring voters to show certain forms of identification before casting a ballot. A week ago I joined with my Congressional colleagues to call for restoring the legislation to ensure that each and every eligible American has the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to vote.
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“On the 50th anniversary of this extraordinary event in our nation’s history, let us remember all the men and women and their contributions to making America a more just and fair society”, Pierce said.
The decision was handed down by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday, one day before the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. Numerous convention-goers say that’s a ideal example of why the fight for equal voting rights continues to this day. The court found that approximately 608,470 registered voters did not have the kind of photo ID required under the law, and that the law disproportionately discriminated against minority voters.
Texas is likely to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the state also could ask the full 5th Circuit to review the case.
“There are people of goodwill on both sides of the aisle who are willing to do it, but it keeps slipping as a priority”, Obama said.
“That is critical to the integrity of our democracy”, Jackson said.
Local civil rights attorney Rolando Rios applauded the court’s opinion, saying it echoed the opinion held by voting rights activists since the law’s passage. Turnout in the 2014 congressional election, in which Republicans took control of the Senate and gained seats in the House, was less than 37 percent, according to the United States Elections Project, run by Michael P. McDonald, an associate professor of political science at the University of Florida. Obama asked. “That’s contradictory to what we believe”. The move is being seen as a victory for President Obama. “Now, 50 years later, the Supreme Court has forced us to refight these battles, and restrictive laws threaten the voting rights of millions across the country”.
The 1965 Voting Rights Act, which was pushed through by US President Lyndon Johnson as part of his Great Society program, has been repeatedly renewed and strengthened by Congress, most recently in 2006. “How can this be?”
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Still, Obama said, it’s not voter suppression efforts that are primarily to blame for keeping Americans away from the polls.
