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Arnold Schwarzenneger Says He's 'Fanatic About Voting', Offers to Pay for Reopening Polling Stations

Schwarzenneger attached an article about how almost 1,200 polling places have closed, mostly in the US south, ever since a 2013 Supreme Court decision weakened the Voting Rights Act by eliminating the requirement for states with a history of voting discrimination to gain federal approval for any election changes they seek to make.
Sputnik

Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he's a fan of elections, expressing support for reopening polling stations in southern US states.

"I'm a fanatic about voting. Most people call closing polls voter suppression. Some say it is "budgetary". What if I made it easy & solved the budgetary issue? How much would it cost to reopen polling places?", he tweeted on Monday along with a Reuters article citing a civil rights group report.

The actor and ex-California governor wondered if closing polling locations was aimed at making it harder for minorities to vote or because of the budget; and if the issue is money, he's ready to help.

"This is a serious question. Is closing polling stations about making it harder for minorities to vote, or is it because of budgets? If you say it's because of your budget, let's talk."

In 2013, the Supreme Court weakened the 1965 Voting Rights Act, eliminating the requirement for states "with a history of racial discrimination" (mostly against black or Hispanic communities) to convince the Justice Department or a federal court that election changes they want to make are not discriminatory.

According to election authorities in these states, the polling locations have been closed due to a number of reasons, including budget deficits and disability laws.

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