June, 16 2016, 11:45am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Email:,press@civilrights.org,Phone: (202) 869-0398
Press Call: Voting Rights Advocates Sound Alarm for 2016 Election on Shelby County v. Holder Anniversary
New Report Highlights Voter Suppression in Competitive 2016 Election States
WASHINGTON
On Friday, June 17 at 11:30 a.m. ET, voting rights advocates and voters will host a press call to discuss the impact of the Shelby County v. Holder decision on the 2016 presidential election, the first in 50 years without the full protections of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The call kicks off a week of action to restore the VRA in advance of the third anniversary of Shelby, which falls on June 25.
On the call, participants will release a new report entitled Warning Signs: The Potential Impact of Shelby County v. Holder on the 2016 General Election, which profiles voter suppression activities in states that were once covered by Section 5 of the VRA and are host to competitive 2016 contests for 84 Electoral College votes, two Senate seats, and one governor's seat. The report finds that, since Shelby, all five of these states--North Carolina, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Virginia - have engaged in deceptive and sophisticated practices to disenfranchise voters that will have an impact on the 2016 election.
The call will feature local voters, election administrators, and advocates discussing how Shelby has made it harder to vote in Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina.
To request an embargoed copy of the report, email Simpson@civilrights.org.
The report is a collaborative effort between The Leadership Conference Education Fund, the ACLU, the Advancement Project, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, the Brennan Center for Justice, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the NALEO Educational Fund.
WHAT: Press Call: Voting Rights Advocates Sound Alarm for 2016 Election on Shelby v. Holder Anniversary
WHEN:Friday, June 17 at 11:30 a.m. ET
WHO:
- Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund
- Monica Cooper, an Arizona voter disenfranchised during the 2016 primary and a plaintiff in a voting rights lawsuit against Arizona and Maricopa County
- Anita Earls, executive director of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, which has played a key role in fighting voter suppression in North Carolina
- Marion Warren, Registrar of Voters for the City of Sparta in Hancock County, Georgia.
DIAL-IN INFORMATION: Please RSVP to Simpson@civilrights.org to receive an embargoed copy of the report. Dial-in: 877.876.9177. Verbal Passcode: "Shelby."
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. Through advocacy and outreach to targeted constituencies, The Leadership Conference works toward the goal of a more open and just society - an America as good as its ideals.
(202) 466-3311LATEST NEWS
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