The Democrats can Repeal Voter ID Restrictions and Re-enfranchise 21 Million Voters. Tell them to Take Action Now.
In a successful effort to manipulate the outcome of the 2016 Elections, the Republican party engaged in a multi-pronged strategy to suppress voters of color, poor voters, and voters with disabilities. Using voter purging, voter ID restrictions, polling place closures, ADA violations and felony disenfranchisement, the GOP successfully suppressed an upwards of 50 million voters.
Of these strategies, the one that suppressed the most voters in 2016 was Voter ID Restrictions. 11% of the population — 21 million voters — were prevented from exercising their Constitutional right to vote because of voter ID restrictions. Worse, the newly created Presidential Commission on Election Integrity is poised to accomplish two goals:
1) Nationalize Voter ID restrictions
2) Position states’ rights over federal authority in the areas of Constitutional and Civil voting rights.
The fundamental right to vote is under direct attack by the Republican Party. As such, the Strategic Institute of Intersectional Policy is calling upon the Democratic party to take immediate action to re-enfranchise voters kept from the polls because of Voter ID Restrictions and to ensure that these laws are declared illegal under the 14th Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause, and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
34 states currently implement voter ID restrictions. The Democrats have the power to have these laws repealed and declared illegal. They also have the power to re-enfranchise 21 million voters. SIIP is calling on them to use it. Below is a letter that has been sent to Members of Congress. We encourage individuals and organizations to use this letter as a model for their own communications with their Representatives. SIIP will also be publishing strategies to compliment this effort in the upcoming weeks.
The 2018 midterm elections are just around the corner. We all need to get to work.
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Re: Request for Democratic Senators to Immediately Move to Repeal Voter ID Restrictions
Honorable Congressperson,
21 million eligible voters — the majority of whom are people of color, poor people, people living with disabilities and the elderly — were unable to cast a vote in the 2016 Elections as a result of voter ID restrictions. 21 million. These restrictions are in clear violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the 14th Amendment and the Equal Protection clause, yet unchallenged, they have been allowed to spread to 34 states.
Equally concerning is that they have been diffused by Kris Kobach, the Republican Party and the hate group FAIR (the Federation on American Immigration reform) — all of whom openly work in support of implementing these restrictions at the state and national levels. Their collective efforts have been so successful, in fact, the Presidential Commission on Election Integrity, led by Mike Pence and Kris Kobach, is making progress towards ensuring Voter ID restrictions are taken nationwide in time for the 2018 midterm elections.
The Constitutional right to vote is fundamental to the core of Democracy in the United States. A revolution, a Civil War and a Civil Rights movement have been waged to secure and protect this right; and it is the responsibility of the Democratic Party to protect this right from the aggressive attacks of the Republican Party and the Trump Administration.
Democratic Party must take a firm, active and immediate stand against the deprivation of the Constitutional right to vote. As such, the Strategic Institute of Intersectional Policy is requesting that the Democratic Party and its Congressional Representatives take immediate action to repeal Voter ID restrictions nationwide and in their own states by:
1. Using Democratic Resources and legal teams to flood the lower federal courts with lawsuits geared at ensuring Voter ID laws are struck down for violations of the 14th Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause, and the Voting Rights Act in every state.
These suits must very intentionally apply the Harper Balancing Test which is designed to specifically ensure federal rights are upheld over state’s rights, NOT the Anderson Balancing Test which is improperly being used by the Republican party to falsely claim state’s rights trump federal rights.
2. Immediately propose legislation to repeal Voter ID laws in states controlled by the Democratic Party.
As the 2018 Midterm Elections approach, we are calling on the leadership, strength, and efforts of the Democratic Party to protect our Constitutional Right to Vote as it is actively being stripped away by the Republican Party. 21 million voters of color, voters with disabilities, elderly voters and poor voters are counting on your immediate action.
Thank you for recognizing the urgency of this matter.
Please send your reply to these requests to the following:
Dr. GS Potter, Executive Director
Strategic Institute on Intersectional Policy
PO Box 46414
Seattle, WA 98146–6414
