Georgia Democrats Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act

Release:  Thursday, August 6, 2015           

Atlanta, GA – Today, Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter issued the following statement on the 50^th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law.

“Fifty years ago, President Johnson signed a bi-partisan piece of legislation into law, challenging discriminatory elections systems and providing protections to ensure that every citizen had the right to vote. The VRA was intended to be a powerful tool to break down barriers of injustice and strengthen the voice of all Americans.

“This advance of freedom has brought us a long way. But to this day, the protections provided under the VRA are under attack—especially in the South. Right here in Georgia, Republican leaders wage an annual war to cut early voting. And Georgia has some of the harshest voter ID laws on the books that disproportionately harm people of color, seniors, and low-income voters. These unnecessary hurdles are part of a systematic effort to prevent tens of thousands of Georgians from casting a ballot.

“Georgia has an opportunity to lead on voting rights, and be a beacon of progress and opportunity. We can tell every single voter that their voice matters by expanding ballot access with same-day registration or automatic voter registration. We can repeal the needless bureaucracy of stringent voter ID laws that discourage civic engagement.

“Democrats remain committed to strengthening the Voting Rights Act and achieving true social justice for all Americans. We are a better nation when we hold sacred the cornerstone of our democracy—the right to vote.”

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