Restoring Election Integrity
By Rush Holt
Thomas Paine wrote that the right to vote is "the primary right by which other rights are protected."
Sep 09, 2005 -- 06:16:12 PM EST
I recently joined some of my colleagues and civil rights activists in commemorating the 40th anniversary of enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a watershed moment in American history. This commemoration served as an important reminder of the brave fights that citizens have conducted to obtain and protect their right to vote.
The sacrifices of voting rights activists over the past century - like my friend Representative John Lewis, and those who bravely registered black voters in the south in the 1960s, despite violent opposition - have paved the way for the enfranchisement that we all seek. The Voting Rights Act has made progress possible, but there is still more to be done.
Application of the Voting Rights Act faces challenges in the 21st century. The 2000 and 2004 presidential elections demonstrated that disenfranchisement, though legally abolished, still exists in practice. In order to preserve influence of the Voting Rights Act, key protections of which are scheduled to expire in 2007, we must address voting irregularities that occurred in recent elections.
I take it as one of my most important responsibilities to help foster and restore citizen faith in their representative government. In Congress, I try to conduct all of my activities with an eye towards this goal. That is why it is so important to protect the integrity of the vote, the primary right by which other rights are protected.
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http://warrenreports.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/9/9/181612/7196
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