VOTER SUPPRESSION/DEC 10th RALLY
TOP LEVEL

Our country in the midst of the greatest coordinated legislative attack on voting rights since
the dawn of Jim Crow (over 100 years). In 2011 alone, 34 states legislators have introduced
voter suppression legislation, with laws passing in 14 of those states, and laws pending in 8.

New state laws are (1) Requiring voters to present unnecessary government-issued photo
identification in order to vote; (2) Cutting early voting opportunities in half and ending
Sunday voting; (3); Ending same-day voter registration/voting; (4); Stripping Ex criminal
offenders of their right to vote.

Reports by the Brennan Center for Justice show that these new voter suppression laws
disproportionally impact people of color, working women, blue-collar workers, college
students, seniors, and immigrants.

On December 10th – Human Rights Day – The NAACP, in conjunction with dozens of civil,
labor, and human rights organizations from across the country are taking a “Stand for
Freedom” in New York City and protesting this attack on voting rights. The “Stand for
Freedom” march and rally will begin at the headquarters of leading voter suppression
funders, The Koch brothers, and will conclude outside the United Nations.
BACKGROUND POINTS
Voter Photo ID Bills

Voter identification laws are nothing but reincarnated poll taxes and literacy tests, and exfelon voting bans serve the same purpose today as when they were created in the wake of
the 15th Amendment guaranteeing ex-slaves the vote–suppressing voting numbers among
people of color.”

Nearly 25 percent of African-Americans currently do not have a valid photo ID necessary to
vote, according to a recent study by the Brennan Center for Justice, the non-partisan public
policy and law institute at New York University's School of Law.

While voters in some states can request free photo IDs from state motor vehicle
departments, they must still pay to obtain underlying documents, such as birth certificates,
necessary to get the photo ID, possibly discouraging them from voting as a result. In some
cases, obtaining underlying documents can cost nearly 100 dollars.

In Texas and Wisconsin the new voter ID laws exclude student identification cards, even
those issued by state-run universities.

Voter fraud has proven to be a myth touted for suppression purposes. A person is more
likely to get struck and killed by lighting than impersonate someone at the polls. The
limited voter fraud that occurs typically involves absentee ballots, which is not addressed
by strict voter photo ID measures.

We believe in protecting the integrity of the election process, but not at the cost of
disenfranchising eligible voters. Bills and mail with proof of address or a community
member vouching for you have been used successfully by states for years as a means of
preventing fraud at the ballot box.
Early Voting Cuts

In states like Wisconsin, Georgia, Florida, and Ohio, coalitions of extremist legislators have
sought to suppress voter turnout by cutting or completely eliminating early and Sunday
voting opportunities. Their hope is that students, seniors, parents and working class
Americans who lack the flexibility in their schedule to stand in long lines on Election Day
will abandon their right to vote.

Reports from recent elections indicate that African Americans, in particular, are more likely
to utilize early voting in order to avoid long lines at urban polling precincts on Election Day.
They also know that cuts to early voting will dampen turnout for many blue-collar working
citizens, students, seniors, parents who don’t have the luxury or flexibility to stand in poll
lines for as many as eight hours.
Same Day Voting

Both Maine and North Carolina tried to eliminate same-day voter registration/voting which
would allow people to register the same day they cast their ballot. On Election Day voters in
Main resoundingly rejected the change.
Ex-offender Disenfranchisement

Florida and Iowa reversed prior executive actions that made it easier for citizens with
past felony convictions to restore their voting rights, affecting hundreds of thousands
of voters. In effect, both states now permanently disenfranchise most citizens with
past felony convictions. These voters have paid their debt to society and should not
have their right stripped away for political gain.
Why the Attacks/Who is Attacking

Voter participation levels by black, Hispanic and Asian eligible voters all increased from
2004 to 2008, reducing the voter participation gap between themselves and white eligible
voters. This was particularly true for black eligible voters. Their voter turnout rate
increased 4.9 percentage points, from 60.3% in 2004 to 65.3% in 2008, nearly matching the
voter turnout rate of white eligible voters (66.1%). For Hispanics, participation levels also
increased, with the voter turnout rate rising 2.7 percentage points, from 47.2% in 2004 to
49.9% in 2008. Among Asians, voter participation rates increased from 44.6% in 2004 to
47.0% in 2008. Meanwhile, among white eligible voters, the voter turnout rate fell slightly,
from 67.2% in 2004 to 66.1% in 2008.

Historically, far-right wing extremists have attacked the right to vote in order to make it
easier to attack other rights. More than a century ago, they did it to make it easier to help
establish segregation. Now they are doing it to make it easier to attack women's rights,
environmental protections, immigrant’s rights, equal opportunity programs, and worker's
right to organize.

These modern attacks on voting rights began just less than 12 months ago when coalitions
of extremist state politicians across the country started passing legislation to suppress voter
turnout of groups that cast ballots in favor of social justice and civil rights.

These attacks have been guided and funded from Charles and David Koch and their
corporate allies. Through their funding and support of the American Legislative Exchange
Council (ALEC), the Koch brothers have convinced legislators in several states to propose
and pass for the voter ID bills that they drafted. The Koch brothers have also directly
contributed an additional quarter million dollars to candidates who support the
suppression legislation.
December 10th Stand for Freedom Rally

11 am: March from the NYC office of the Koch brothers, (major funders of anti-voting rights
measures).

12 noon: Rally at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, United Nations East 47th Street & 2nd Avenue,
NYC.

Other partners: 1199SEIU, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), National Action
Network, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), National Urban League, and a broad
coalition of civil rights and labor groups.