FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ann Mullen, 313-400-8562, amullen@aclumich.org
DETROIT - Today, state and national civil and voting rights experts rang the alarm bells with less than six weeks left until Donald Trump and the Project 2025 agenda takes control. The Legal Defense Fund (LDF), Campaign Legal Center (CLC), ACLU of Michigan, and the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice (NJISJ) urged state lawmakers to take immediate action and pass their state Voting Rights Acts (state VRAs) to codify protections against voting discrimination, which are needed now more than ever given unprecedented anti-democracy risks at the federal level.
Two states – Michigan and New Jersey – have a handful of days remaining to pass their state VRAs before the Trump Administration takes power. This comes on the heels of a growing chorus of states – including Virginia, New York, Connecticut, and Minnesota – that have enacted state VRAs in four consecutive years as the federal Voting Rights Act continues to be eroded. Both state VRAs are moving forward in the legislative process thanks to mounting pressure from Michigan and New Jersey pro-democracy organizations, advocates, and supporters who continue to urge their lawmakers to swiftly pass these crucial voting protections.
Loren Khogali, ACLU of Michigan Executive Director, issued the following statement:
“The bills are not just a set of reforms; it is a direct response to the experiences and barriers that eligible voters in Michigan have faced in exercising their constitutional right to vote.
“The Michigan Voting Rights Act would be one of the most comprehensive state voting rights acts in the nation. If enacted, it would help Michigan turn the page on a troubling history of discrimination and build upon recent progress achieved through Proposals 3 (2018) and 2 (2022) as well as in the 2023 legislative session, and continue moving us toward a genuinely equitable, inclusive democracy.”
Michael Pernick, LDF Political Participation Counsel, issued the following statement:
“State Voting Rights Acts are about the freedom to vote and protecting our democracy. Federal voting rights enforcement is no longer a reliable backstop for Black voters and other voters of color. States must take urgent action to fill these foreseeable gaps.”
“It’s no coincidence that a state VRA has been enacted every year since 2018 with exception of 2020 during the start of the pandemic. A tidal wave of support for state VRAs, across race and party lines, continues to fuel this momentum. Now is the time for pro-democracy leaders in New Jersey and Michigan to follow the will of the people and take action for the voters who elected them to office.”
Aseem Mulji, Campaign Legal Center Legal Counsel for Redistricting, issued the following statement:
“Over the last several years, the U.S. Supreme Court has been chipping away at the protections of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. We can no longer rely on the federal courts alone to protect voters from racial discrimination, nor can we rely on Congress to fix the problem.
“State governments have the power to enact their own voting rights acts to protect the right to vote and to elect representatives of their choice, the most fundamental of American freedoms. We call on lawmakers in Michigan and New Jersey to get these measures passed into law as soon as possible.”
Nuzhat Chowdhury, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice Senior Counsel of Democracy & Justice Program, issued the following statement:
“Every election cycle, voters—and especially Black and other voters of color—face chronic challenges while voting, such as: long lines and late poll openings, racially-motivated voter intimidation, being incorrectly asked for voter identification, and limited to no language assistance at the polls. Given the reality of what is to come, we have been asking ourselves: what can we do about it? What can we do here in New Jersey if the federal government isn’t going to protect our right to vote?
“Building off of the legacy of the federal VRA, the NJVRA is one of our strongest tools to protect voters and begin building a democracy that is accessible to everyone and represents and serves everyone as well.”
Find recording of press conference here.
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