Attacks on Voter Rights
Even in a state as progressive as California, the inalienable right for citizens to vote is under attack by those who want to limit voting access under the guise of voter fraud prevention.
This year, Assemblymember Travis Allen introduced legislation that would require voters to provide photographic identification at the polling place before receiving a ballot. Today’s tactics to keep people from the polls may not be as violent as it was in our early history, but they are no less oppressive. While there’s very little evidence to support the existence of voter fraud, legislation like AB 985 is continually used as a means of stifling potential voters who would likely stand with working families.
After the Supreme Court issued a ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, which held that a key provision of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional, the drive to suppress votes has come about mostly in the form of voter identification (ID) laws aimed at keeping people of color, the elderly and young people from participating in the democratic process. Low-income individuals, disabled Californians, senior citizens and students are disproportionately affected by prohibitive laws because they are less likely to have a valid driver’s license or state-issued ID, or the ability to gain access to one.
Proponents of voter ID laws ostensibly claim concern about voter fraud. Yet experts keep looking for instances of rampant voter fraud – and they keep coming up empty. The Department of Justice has found “no apparent cases of in-person voter impersonation” after a review of its databases and other sources. That’s the same conclusion drawn from academic studies, investigative reports by journalists, and recent court rulings.
The right to vote is the sacred cornerstone of our democracy and should be exercised without impediments. AFSCME vigorously opposes all forms of discriminatory voter ID legislation affecting vulnerable individuals from participating in the state’s civic process. AB 985 failed in its first policy committee - the Assembly Committee on Elections and Redistricting. AFSCME will continue to monitor legislation that undermines access to voting in California.
