The Garland NAACP released the following statement on June 25, 2014:
“Today marks the one-year anniversary that the Supreme Court of the United States of America struck down section 4 of the Voting Rights Acts, the provision of the landmark civil rights law that designated which parts of the country must have changes to their voting laws cleared by the federal government or in federal court.
We, the officers, Executive Committee, and members of the NAACP Garland, Texas unit stand in continued opposition to this ruling and we urge Congress to pass newly written legislation, the Voting Rights Amendment Act (VRAA) to protect Texas voters from voter discrimination.
The VRAA would provide common sense solutions to prevent discrimination against all voters regardless of race, including:
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remedies to address current discrimination as it is occurring
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an ability to review voting changes in places that have engaged in
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discrimination in the present and recent past, and
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improve the public’s notification of potential voting changes to enhance accountability.
Last June in Shelby County v. Holder when the Supreme Court invalidated a key section of the Voting Rights Act, it opened the door for Congress to enact additional legislation. As part of the decision, the Supreme Court invited Congress to revise the VRA to provide for protections against voting discrimination that better reflect current circumstances.”
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. The local members of the Garland NAACP unit are no different. We invite everyone who advocates for fair and equal access to the voting booths in Texas to please join us!
