Congress, House, News, Quick News May 17, 2012

House Dems Unveil Voter Empowerment Act

By Elizabeth Vlock

House Democrats Thursday unveiled their plans for The Voter Empowerment Act, an act designed in response to recent state legislations that impede voting rights for millions of Americans.

The motivation for the act is sixteen states that have recently introduced measures that that end same-day voter registration and create obstacles to other voter registration opportunities. Nine states have also introduced bills preventing early voting and four states have enacted it. The Voter Empowerment Act is designed to modernize registration systems and provide protections that include a national hotline to report corrective actions of voting issues and a mandate for paper copy verifications from voting machines.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) spoke at a press conference today explaining new laws in states across the country function as obstacles since “instead of making it easier for Americans to have their voices heard in government, these new rules are making it more difficult.” Hoyer compared the current hindrances to past struggles that civil rights movements encountered. Stating that, “America’s story is filled with chapter after chapter of struggle to extend the right to vote — to African American, to women, to people old enough to serve in uniform” and that the Voter Empowerment Act is designed to continue to fight against unfair voting practices.

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), a civil rights pioneer, added that, “the ability to vote should be easy, accessible and simple. Yet there are practices and laws in place that make it harder to vote than it was one year ago.” Rep. Lewis also advocated for Congress to, “be moving toward a more inclusive democracy, not one that locks people out.”

In 2008, before these new state measure were introduced, approximately three million Americans were turned away from the poll due to registration related issues.

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Anonymous

Some Democrats are pushing new legislation in the House of
Representatives to ensure that there
continues to be voter fraud so as to help get President Obama get re-elected
this November. It will also help
Democratic candidates nationwide.

The Voter Empowerment Act, as the deceptively titled federal
legislation is known, would circumvent new voter identification laws in 16
states and approved by the people. These
state laws were enacted to prevent the same widespread voter fraud mostly
perpetuated by Obama activists in A.C.O.R.N. during the 2008 presidential
elections.

The bill approves same day voter registration which makes it
impossible for states to verify whether a person who goes to vote in Georgia
actually lives in Georgia.
Georgia’s new
law, for instance, provides voters with free ID cards.

Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, said in a press conference in
opposition to state voter verification laws, “I hope and pray that we will not
return to the days of overt discrimination.”

Being from Georgia, Lewis, a southern black, should know the
history of racism and discrimination better.
Between 1889 and 1910 it was his Democratic Party that kept blacks from
voting after the 15th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed
giving them the right to vote.

The question then is, “Why was the Democratic Party trying
to keep blacks from voting?” The answer
is because they were voting for Republicans.
Since Abraham Lincoln, the Republicans have largely only wanted fair
elections. Something the brainwashed
Democrats have a hard time wrapping their heads around since it is only by
voter fraud and Justice Department frivolous lawsuits can they get what the
rest of us don’t want.
Chouse1000

I am all for people who are eligible to vote, being able to vote. However, I do not think that it is too much to ask for eligible people to register to vote before the election. I believe that allowing people to register and vote on the same day would leave to opportunity for voter fraud.

If you have the right to vote, then you should be responsible enough to register ahead of time. I am tired of people stating that they were disenfranchised because they were not allowed to vote in an election. As far as I am concerned, if you meet the requirements to vote, then you not only have the right, but the privilege to vote, so follow the rules, register, and vote; if you do not follow the rules, then you have no right to vote.