Rep. Keith Ellison Introduces Legislation Protecting Voters' Rights
Press Release
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) today introduced two bills with Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) to strengthen voting rights in federal elections.
Both bills, The Same Day Registration Act and The Voter Access Protection Act, would combat the coordinated effort sweeping several state legislatures to restrict voting rights. The Same Day Registration Act would require states to provide same-day voter registration for a federal election. Currently, Minnesota leads the nation in providing election-day voter registration.
"I'm proud that Minnesota has offered same-day voter registration for decades," said Rep. Ellison. "We are also known for leading in voter participation with 78% turnout in the 2008 presidential election and 56% in 2010--an "off-year' election."
"Rather than implementing policies that disenfranchise large numbers of voters, we should be focusing on common-sense reforms like this that we know increase access to the polls," Rep. Moore said. "According to the University of Wisconsin, the most consistent way to improve voter turnout is to provide for election day registration."
The Voter Access Protection Act would prohibit election officials from requiring photo identification to cast a vote or register to vote.
"This year, thirty-four state legislatures introduced bills requiring photo identification in order to vote," Ellison noted in an op-ed that appears on DailyKos.com. "This rash of legislation classifies several previously accepted IDs as unacceptable, and would negatively affect roughly 21 million Americans if they are passed. For the first time in our nation's history, we would shrink the voting franchise instead of expanding it."
"This legislation would prohibit one of the most pernicious forms of voter suppression, requiring a strict photo identification card at the polls," said Rep. Moore. "As one of our most sacred democratic rights, state laws that disenfranchise large proportions or minorities, elderly, students, and low-income Americans have no place in modern society."
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