WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A total of 88 civil-rights groups have issued a letter asking election officials across the United States to disclose how they intend to ensure voting rights are protected when Americans head to polls on November 8, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights said in a press release Wednesday.
"Since Congress has failed to pass a bill to restore the VRA [Voting Rights Act], we are extremely concerned that there will be widespread voter discrimination in the upcoming presidential election,” the groups state in their letter. “We urge you to develop a plan to ensure that no one in your state is disenfranchised in the upcoming election.”
21 October 2016, 03:28 GMT
Next month’s elections for president, Congress and numerous state and local offices will be the first without full protections afforded in the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a key section of which the US Supreme Court invalidated in 2013. The decision limits the federal government’s power to supervise areas of the country considered prone to voter discrimination or election irregularities.
“The most racially bigoted presidential campaign in generations has created a perfect storm for voter intimidation and voter discrimination,” president and CEO of the Leadership Conference Wade Henderson stated.
Early voting is already underway in 36 US states and Washington, DC.
