Civil and Human Rights Coalition Urges Congress to Restore Voting Rights Act Following Election Discrimination and Confusion

WASHINGTON, DC – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement regarding the discrimination voters faced in this year’s election, the first federal election without the crucial protections of the Voting Rights Act:

“Yesterday, thousands of Americans faced confusion and discrimination at the ballot in the most restrictive and discriminatory election landscape in nearly half a century. From the missing voter registrations in Georgia, to the voters turned away in Texas and North Carolina, it is clear that the real losers in this election were the American voters.

Yesterday’s reports of misinformed poll workers, as well as voters who were incorrectly turned away, which flooded in from across the country illustrate the chaotic and unfair reality we now live in as a result of the Supreme Court’s destructive decision in Shelby County vs. Holder. Prior to Shelby, the protections of the Voting Rights Act allowed possible discriminatory voting practices to be identified and prevented before going into effect. Yesterday’s election made clear that without the critical protections of the Voting Rights Act, discrimination can only be identified after the right to vote is denied and American citizens are disenfranchised.

Since Shelby, 14 states have made it harder for voters, especially voters of color, to exercise their fundamental right to the ballot. Without the clear, federal protections of the Voting Rights Act, conflicting court decisions on state voting restrictions have created a chaotic election landscape that has confused both voters and election officials. When Congress returns, its priority must be to restore the Voting Rights Act, or the discrimination and obstacles Americans faced yesterday will be the new normal for our elections.”

Wade Henderson is president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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