Politics & Government

Alejo Stands up for Voter Rights

A new resolution penned by the assemblyman argues for the reaffirmation of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

Contributed by the Office of Luis Alejo:

Assembly Joint Resolution 15, authored by Assemblymember Luis Alejo (whose district included Watsonville and Gilroy), passed out of the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee today with a 5-1 vote. This measure urges the Supreme Court of the United States to reaffirm the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

“Our nation’s only safeguard against discriminatory voting practices may be in serious jeopardy,” says Alejo. “In order to protect the welfare of our citizens and voters, we must defend the merits of Section 5.”

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Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act ensures that state and local election practices are just and fair by requiring affected jurisdictions to have changes to their voting laws and procedures “precleared” by the United States Attorney General before they can be enacted. On Feb. 27, the United States Supreme Court debated the constitutionality of Section 5 after Alabama’s Shelby County sued to challenge the law on the grounds that it was no longer needed and unfairly singles out southern states.

However, Monterey County has evidenced the ongoing need for Section 5 as incidences of voter disenfranchisement have occurred as recently as 2002 and 2004. Moreover, Section 5 has been renewed and expanded upon several times since its enactment. Most recently, in 2006, the United States Congress renewed Section 5 for an additional 25 years with a 98-0 vote in the Senate and a 390-33 vote in the House.

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“Section 5 is still an important tool in the fight against voter disenfranchisement and California must let its voice be heard on this important national issue,” said Alejo. “This measure will let it be known that California supports voter equality.”

AJR 15 will now head to the Assembly Floor for consideration. For more information on AJR 15, visit leginfo.ca.gov.


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