Voting rights are front and center in 2016 — at least, for the Democrats.
Yesterday, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) adopted a platform containing the strongest voting rights provisions in the party’s history, declaring "it is a core principle of the Democratic Party to maximize voter participation for all Americans.”
Reforms Including in the DNC Platform:
— Automatic Voter Registration (AVR)
- Restoration of Voting Rights for Ex-Offenders
- Making Election Day a Holiday
- Restoring the Voting Rights Act to its Full Power
This inclusive and proactive language is much stronger compared to the Voting Rights language adopted by the Party even four years ago.
The DNC’s strong support for expanding voting rights comes at a critical time. Our Democracy is at a crossroads and the stakes could not be higher. More than a decade of attacks on Voting Rights and democratic participation, from Shelby County v. Holder to Restrictive State Voter ID laws, threaten the core principles of a Representative Democracy.
Including Affirmative Voting Reforms reflects the momentum of the proactive Democracy Movement. With State partners and National allies, we’ve advanced game-changing reforms along with impactful intermediate reforms that increase access to Voter Registration.
The DNC has chosen to stand on the right side of history by adopting many positive voter inclusion measures into their platform.
Voting Rights is not a partisan issue, but Republicans have decided to make it one. While voting should be a basic right for any eligible person regardless of their ethnicity, age, income, party affiliation, or gender, the GOP platform ratified at last week’s Republican National Convention actually called for stricter Voter ID laws.
They’re just plain wrong.
In our democracy, every voter, regardless of party affiliation, should be able to cast their ballot.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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