Racial Justice Organizations Release “We Vote We Count” Report
Incidents in nine states throughout the country find barriers to votingWashington, D.C. – On November 25th, the Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative, a coalition of national racial justice and civil rights organization, released its groundbreaking voting rights report “We Vote, We Count.” The report centers around the voices of people of color and describes accounts of voter interference which disproportionately affects communities of color, gathered through “People’s Hearings” in select states over several months in 2019. The report can be found online at WeVoteWeCount.org.
Witnesses at the “People’s Hearings” framed the right to vote in two ways: the right to be regarded and recognized as an eligible voter and the right to cast a ballot without undue burden.
The report also details personal experiences with voter infringement and recommendations of how to combat this issue. These stories were collected during hearings held in several cities in 2019 and listening sessions by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on House Administration, through national court cases, and from submissions through WeVoteWeCount.org, a website where voters can share their past experiences facing interference at the polls, difficulties registering to vote, and other barriers to voting.
“The right for African-Americans to vote has consistently been under attack, and voter infringement tactics continue to evolve – from intimidation at the ballot box to outright election interference from foreign governments,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. “With the Census approaching in 2020 and less than a year out from the next presidential election, the NAACP will continue to fight back against any threats to one of the key pillars of our democracy.”
The Shelby County v. Holder decision in 2013, ruled the part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which stated that states had to get voting rules approved by the federal government, unconstitutional. Since then, several states, including Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, and many others have instituted restrictive voting measures that unfairly target and impact communities of color, impeding their abilities to register, vote, and national and local issues.
For example, witnesses at the field hearings in North Carolina testified that the state not only passed its controversial voter ID law, but also eliminated same-day registration and safeguards to protect out-of-precinct voting. These changes decreased the ability of “voters to cast a ballot and have it properly counted,” the report states.
In Alabama, more than 31 ID voting spots in primarily black and poor counties were closed down. “Alabama passed a strict ID requirement, hurting over 300,000 voters,” said Alabama Commissioner Sheila Tyson in her testimony. “They knew exactly what they were doing when they did it.”
Witnesses in North Dakota characterized a new voter ID law that required voters to show photo identification that includes their name, birth date and residential address as carrying an “anti-Indian undertone.” This law disproportionally impacts Native voters living on reservations where they do not have residential street addresses.
“The concerted effort of states to make voting more difficult for communities of color is a blatant attempt to prevent these communities from building power. Black and Brown voters have responded with resolve. They are demanding policymakers take action to reduce barriers to the ballot and are organizing against voter discrimination. We stand with these communities in calling for elections that ensure every American can have their vote count,” says Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project National Office.
The report also includes recommendations for mitigating voter discrimination. These solutions underscored the complex intersection between race/ethnicity, socioeconomic circumstances and access to the ballot. The witnesses at the “People’s Hearings” also acknowledged the need for better cooperation between affected voters and federal, state and local governmental entities. These include:
- Improving training for poll workers
- Expanding same-day registration and voting
- Enhancing language accessibility at polling locations
- Restoring the Voting Rights Act
- Ending felony disenfranchisement
- Honoring federal treaties with Native American tribes and nations
- Enhancing language accessibility at polling locations
To learn more about the Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative and to share stories of voter interference please visit WeVoteWeCount.org. To engage on social media, use the hashtag #WeVoteWeCount.
Read the full report We Vote We Count Report today!
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About the W.K. Kellogg Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative
Advancement Project National Office, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Demos, Faith In Action, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Congress of American Indians, National Urban League, Race Forward and UnidosUS are a collaborative of nine leading national racial equity anchor organizations supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Together we work to promote racial equity, advance racial healing, and ensure that all children, families and communities have genuine opportunities to reach their full potential.
