The NAACP joined leading civil rights and voting rights advocates in Halifax, North Carolina and Cleveland, Ohio to bring attention to voter suppression barriers in those states.
Headed by Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH), the House Subcommittee on Elections hosted the hearings on voting rights and election administration and will continue to do so for the upcoming month. The NAACP has been on the frontlines of fighting voter suppression in communities of color and will be participating in these hearings to draw attention to the voter suppression barriers plaguing the country.
Congressman Butterfield with attendees at Halifax, NC Voting Rights Hearing
Voter suppression played a huge role in silencing the political voices of the Black community and all people of color during the 2018 midterm elections. As we saw in Georgia and Tennessee, Republican lawmakers engaged in a massive voter suppression strategy that included further rolling back the Voting Rights Act.
NAACP delegation at Cleveland, OH Voting Rights Hearing
Since the Supreme Court decided to gut the Voting Rights Act, lawmakers in states around the country have put up barriers to the ballot box that stunt the voting power of people of color. From carving up districts and implementing restrictive voter ID laws, to refusing to process voter registration forms and cutting early voting times and locations, those who want to strip away the political voice of people of color have used every tactic to block us from the polls.
Voting is our currency, and democracy can only work when everyone has access to the franchise. Everyone suffers when communities of color are not able to express their concerns and priorities through the voting booth.
