In BuzzFeed Commentary, Ashley Allison Urges Values-Based Voting in Midterms

WASHINGTON – In a Buzzfeedopinion piece, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights executive vice president of campaigns and programs Ashley Allison emphasized the importance of everyone’s vote in today’s midterm elections in demanding change to our democracy to reflect all communities and all our country’s values.

“In America, to use our voice — and to tell our story — is to exercise power. There is nothing more fundamental to the fabric of our democracy than voting,” said Allison. “Every one of us has a powerful voice in building an America that honors the humanity and dignity of all people. Our democracy is worn, but not beyond repair.”

In the piece, Allison details several barriers to voting, including those that she herself has experienced, that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Most notable, she explains, is the 2013 Supreme Court decision to gut the Voting Rights Act, which provided protections for voters in states with histories of voter discrimination.

“Without the full protection of the Voting Rights Act,” she said, “states are furiously working to erode voting rights for communities of color, young people, people with disabilities, Native Americans, low-income people, those with limited English proficiency, and seniors.

“Today, we vote our values. Tomorrow, we live them — and realize our vision of an America that celebrates the voices, the votes, and the power of we, the people.”

The full opinion piece can be found here.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is 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 member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.