|
LEAGUE OF WOMEN
VOTERS OF ALABAMA SEES
DMV CLOSURES AS THREAT TO VOTING RIGHTS
LWVAL calls for state
legislation that would suspend the state’s
voter photo ID law until the driver’s licensing centers are reopened.
Montgomery – On Wednesday, October
7, 2015, the League of Women Voters of Alabama sent the following
open letter to Alabama government leaders.
**********
TO:
|
Governor Robert
Bentley
Speaker Mike Hubbard
President
Pro Tempore Del Marsh
|
| FROM: |
Dr. Anne Permaloff,
President
League
of Women Voters of Alabama |
SUBJECT:
|
Fixing Photo ID
|
|
Date: October
7, 2015
The
League of
Women Voters of Alabama is deeply disappointed to see the voting rights
of so many in the state under attack due to recent budget cuts that
would close 31 DMV offices around the state. Closing these offices
creates a barrier to the voting booth, negatively impacting a voter’s
ability to not only obtain a state issued photo ID required to vote,
but making it harder for citizens to register as well. The people most
impacted will be rural, lower income, and minority voters – 8 of the 10
counties in Alabama with the highest percentages of non-white voters
will lose their DMV.
The
League of
Women Voters of Alabama calls upon the Alabama legislature to pass, and
send to the governor to sign, legislation to suspend the state’s voter
photo ID law until the driver’s licensing centers are reopened.
In
2011 Alabama
passed one the strictest voter photo ID laws in the country, requiring
voters to show a limited number of IDs in order to vote, and the law
went into effect one year ago. These closures will potentially
disenfranchise thousands of voters who will no longer be able to obtain
the ID required by the state in order to cast a ballot on Election Day.
The
budget
should not be balanced on the backs of voters. While the administration
justifies the move as rational cost cutting based on the numbers of
licenses issued in these counties, it has failed to consider the impact
on voters – and on the reputation of the state as a whole – and reopens
Alabama’s negative past with voting rights to national scrutiny.
Alabama’s Department of Public Safety predicts that roughly 250,000
voters lack one of the required IDs needed to vote, voters who now have
to travel far distances in order to obtain an ID due to the DMV
closures.
The
State of
Alabama needs to correct the situation before unnecessary and costly
legal action is taken. Our precious resources should be used to improve
our communities, not defending actions that ultimately have a
discriminatory impact.
Protecting
the
right of every voter to have easy access to the ballot box should be
our state legislature’s top priority. Alabama’s elected officials
should not be rolling back the clock on voting rights 50 years after
the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The League of Women Voters of
Alabama will continue to push our government to protect the integrity
of our elections by ensuring that every eligible citizen is able to
register to vote and cast their ballot.
###
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, does
not support or oppose political parties or candidates. It
encourages informed and active participation in government, works to
increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences
public policy thorough education and advocacy. Membership is open
to all citizens, men and women, age 18 or older. With nearly 800 affiliates across the
county, the League is one of the nation’s most trusted organizations.
If you do not wish to receive LWVAL media releases or announcements,
please notify Jean Johnson at jjohnson@lwval.org or contact the League
at 205 871-8194.
Connect with us!
World Wide Web: http://lwval.org
Facebook: https://facebook.com/lwval
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lwval
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/95329932@N05/
|
|
|
