Statement: Despite Numerous Voter Suppression Tactics on Election Day, Advancement Project National Office Attributes High Voter Turnout to Power of Grassroots, National Voting Rights Movements

Still, voting needs to be made easier

Today, voters around the country — particularly Black, Brown, elderly and poor people — encountered numerous hurdles voting in-person on Election Day in an election season fraught with voter suppression. From challenges voting without the full repayment of fines and fees, to the presence of police at polls, from confusion around “curing” ballots, to finding official and secure ballot drop boxes and challenges with voter intimidation, it is obvious that voter suppression was a consistent challenge. Advancement Project National Office, a national racial justice organization released the following statement:

“Despite a global health pandemic, voters cast a ballot in robust numbers both by mail and in-person. Despite last minute changes to voting sites and poll closures during the election cycle. Advancement Project National Office lawyers were on standby around the country, supporting election protection efforts and addressing issues as they came up,” said Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project National Office.

“We have to lift up the work of the racial justice movement in turning out voters in the midst of a global health pandemic. We must give credit to all the organizers and volunteers who worked to educate voters, remind them of important deadlines, notify them of changing rules and procedures, redirect voters from early voting sites, and monitor the administration of in-person voting on the ground. It was the racial justice movement that helped turnout voters despite efforts disenfranchise Returning Citizens, and to slow down the delivery of vote-by-mail ballots by the United States Postal Service,” said Jorge Vasquez, Power & Democracy Director for Advancement Project National Office.

“During this election season, we continuously had to combat constant voter suppression methods. There were intentional efforts to erect barriers at every turn,” continued Dianis. “We saw people standing in line for up to 11 hours, the challenging of voter registration rules, the removal of polling sites and lack of drop boxes in Black and Brown communities. We must continue to galvanize and fight for free, fair and safe elections. We must move forward with the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020. When we make it easier and open up access, people will vote.”

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