7th Anniversary of Shelby County v. Holder highlights urgent need for Senate and states to prepare for 2020 election

WASHINGTON — On the seventh anniversary of the Shelby County v. Holder decision, which gutted protections in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and opened the door to voter discrimination, AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement:

“The court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder empowered elected officials to discriminate against people of color and make it harder for Americans to vote. Now, as our nation faces a global pandemic, a massive economic fallout and a crisis of racial inequality, it is of the utmost importance that the Senate and states shore up the safety and security of our elections. By expanding vote by mail and passing federal aid to states, cities and counties, we can ensure that voting is more accessible to all Americans.

“On Nov. 3, we must not have a repeat of what happened in states like Georgia, Wisconsin and Kentucky, where massive lines, closed polling locations and broken voting machines put people at risk and disproportionately prevented Black and working-class voters from casting their ballots. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are standing up to demand structural change, and we must ensure that every eligible voter, no matter their race, disability or their zip code, is able to safely cast a ballot.”