WHEREAS:

The 1984 primary elections again demonstrate that impairment to participation in elections result from complex registration practices; and,

WHEREAS:

There continues a practice of dual registration for city and county elections in some states covered by the 1965 Voting Rights Act; and,

WHEREAS:

Many of these states permit a variety of local identification procedures for registration, set different polling places for different elections, and engage in practices that severely limit participation in elections; and,

WHEREAS:

There are numerous examples in many states of simplified registration and voting practices that result in greater voter participation; and,

WHEREAS:

It is twenty years since the enactment of the Voting Rights Act, and registration and voting practices persist in some counties that hamper full participation by black citizens;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

The International Executive Board of AFSCME calls upon the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and vigorously proceed with corrective action against any and all of these present practices that are prohibited by the Voting Rights Act; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT:

The International Executive Board calls upon the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention to include in their 1984 party platforms a strong and unequivocal call for states to adopt systems of voter registration which eliminate the requirement of the individual to initiate registration, or provide for simplified and uniform voter registration such as registration by mail.