Let’s pass this law that would help all Americans vote
Members of Congress introduce legislation to respond to modern-day assult on voting rights
In every election, Asian Americans face voting discrimination. Often seen as perpetual foreigners, Asian Americans are harassed at polls simply because of the way they look. Some Asian Americans are so afraid of facing harassment and discrimination that they don’t even turn out to vote.
The ability of Asian Americans to participate in our democracy has been under even further attack recently. Since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder, minority communities have faced and will continue to face even more challenges in participating in our democracy, as states and localities across the country enact without federal oversight discriminatory voter restrictions and changes.
Recognizing this, Americans have looked to Congress to fix the court’s misguided and detrimental ruling. Today, Sen. Patrick Leahy introduced the Voting Rights Advancement Act (Advancement Act) in the U.S. Senate as a way to respond to the modern-day assault on the right to vote. The Advancement Act rightfully recognizes that our country’s changing demographics — which includes the rapidly growing Asian American population — require tools to protect voters and ensure any changes to voting laws be public and transparent.
Rep. Judy Chu, along with leaders from the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus, also co-introduced the Act in the United States House.
The Advancing Justice Policy Platform for 2015, issued earlier this year, called for Congress to take action to restore the Voting Rights Act by passing legislation like the Advancement Act to combat voting discrimination against Asian Americans and all minorities. The Advancement Act would help protect Asian Americans and other voters by modernizing the preclearance formula to cover states with a pattern of discrimination that puts voters at risk, ensuring that last-minute voting changes won’t adversely affect voters and protecting voters from the types of voting changes most likely to discriminate against people of color and language minorities, among other tools.
Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in the country, naturalizing and registering to vote in places least expected — the U.S. South and Midwest. These regions, which have a history of discrimination in voting, are where minority communities need the most protection at the voting booth but no longer do thanks to the Shelby County decision.
As Asian American communities continue to grow rapidly in these regions, racial tensions could increase, and discrimination at the polls could also increase, resulting in decreased Asian American voter turnout and threatening the growing political power of the Asian American voting bloc.
We need the Advancement Act to help ensure that Asian Americans can vote free from discrimination and be able to influence elections in the future.
We thank the sponsors of the Advancement Act and call on Congress to stop ignoring the voting discrimination occurring at the polls. Preserve the ability of all Americans to participate in our democracy and help shape the future direction of our country.
Terry Ao Minnis is the director of census and voting programs for Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC.
