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Protecting the Right to Vote in Ohio
By U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown
Guest Column
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights
Act of 1965 – landmark legislation that helped secure
the right to vote for millions of Americans. Unfortunately,
in Ohio and across the United States, new voter suppression
efforts have sprung up, threatening to disenfranchise
millions of voters.
Protecting the right to vote has always been a bipartisan
issue. Congress has reauthorized the Voting Rights Act
in a bipartisan manner four times, most recently in 2006
under President Bush. In fact, the latest attacks on voting
rights here in Ohio are attacks on provisions that were
passed on a bipartisan basis – at a time when Republicans
controlled the Ohio Statehouse.
These attacks include cutting early voting and eliminating
the “Golden Week” – when voters can register and vote on the
same day during the early voting period. Early voting
improves access to the polls for seniors, minorities, and
hourly workers. In 2012, 600,000 Ohioans – or 10 percent of
the electorate – voted early. And, in Cuyahoga County in
2008, African Americans went to the polls for early voting
at a rate more than 20 times greater than white voters.
Offering the option to cast a ballot during a time that’s
convenient for voters’ family and work schedules is critical
for ensuring that all Americans have the chance to have
their voices heard.
In addition to the attacks on voting rights happening at the
state level, last year, the Supreme Court gutted a key part
of the Voting Rights Act that gave the federal
government the authority to “preclear” changes in election
law proposed by states with a history of voter
discrimination. This decision has left voters vulnerable and
allowed states to implement discriminatory voting laws.
That’s why the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014 is
so important.
Last week during a visit to Columbus, I joined with
Representative Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3); Sybil Edwards-McNabb,
president of the NAACP State Conference; Reverend Tyrone
Lawes, president of the Baptist Ministerial Alliance and
Reverend at New Hope Baptist Church; Larry Price, vice
president of the Baptist Ministerial Alliance; Reverend Fred
LaMarr, vice president of the Baptist Pastors Conference of
Columbus & Vicinity and Reverend at Family Missionary
Baptist Church; Pastor Dale Snyder, president of the
Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance and pastor at
Bethel AME Church in Columbus; and Franklin County voter
Vashitta Johnson to speak out in favor of the Voting
Rights Amendment Act of 2014 and to highlight how
important voting is to a free democracy.
This bill would create national uniformity in the voting
process and strike back against radical voting changes at
the state level. It provides greater transparency to voters
by requiring public notice when changes are made to the
voting process. It also affords voters the protections that
the Supreme Court’s decision removed – requiring states with
five or more voting rights violations in the last 15 years
to having any voting changes precleared with the federal
government before taking effect.
The Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014 is bipartisan
and bicameral legislation. More importantly it will protect
American citizens, deterring current threats to voting
rights and providing new tools to stop voting discrimination
before it happens.
There is no greater symbol of our democracy than the right
to vote. We must continue to work to protect the right to
vote and pass this bill.
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