WHEREAS:
Since the conclusion of the 2020 elections, voting rights have been under attack. More than 100 election-related lawsuits have been filed since Election Day 2020 attempting to disenfranchise voters; and
WHEREAS:
Every legal challenge, audit and recount of the 2020 elections has shown no widespread voter fraud or votes not being counted, and the continued spread of misinformation about the results of the 2020 election is designed to undermine voting rights, election integrity and our democratic institutions; and
WHEREAS:
More than 440 voter suppression bills were introduced across 49 states in 2021. Of the 440 bills introduced, 39 were signed into law, putting into place arbitrary new restrictions that interfere with the right to vote. Additional anti-voter bills continue to be introduced in states across the country; and
WHEREAS:
In Georgia, a multitude of anti-voting laws were drafted as a response to an unprecedented turnout of minority voters in 2020. Senate Bill 202, which was signed into law, has reduced the number of ballot boxes in communities of color, limited voting hours, added new voter I.D. requirements and made it illegal to provide those waiting in line with food or water, as well as instituted other measures intended to make it harder for Georgians to vote; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME has been a leader in the passage of landmark civil and voting rights legislation. The Voting Rights Act has been critical to safeguarding equal access to the ballot since President Lyndon Johnson signed it into law in 1965, yet recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions have weakened the law considerably; and
WHEREAS:
All Americans should support a voting rights law that protects the right to vote and makes our elections more accessible, safe and fair, and voting rights legislation has historically enjoyed broad bipartisan support; and
WHEREAS:
The International Union and its affiliates helped leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives pass an omnibus voting rights bill that included the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, an effort to restore and revitalize the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The bill now sits before the Senate, where despite bipartisan support, archaic filibuster rules have blocked its consideration.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
The International Union, its affiliates and members will make good trouble and work with civil rights organizations, other unions, clergy and community-based and advocacy groups to secure passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in order to increase electoral participation and to protect those who have been historically disenfranchised, no matter their party affiliation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
AFSCME will continue to support the policies described in H.R. 1, the For the People Act, to assure the continuation of our vibrant democracy by facilitating the exercise of the right to vote for all eligible Americans.
SUBMITTED BY:
International Executive Board