Voting Rights Act is fundamental
8/7/2015, 2:21 p.m.
The right to vote is one of the most fundamental rights in our democracy.
For the past 50 years, the federal Voting Rights Act has helped ensure Americans are not robbed of this critical means of civic participation. The act’s success is evident in the dramatic increase in minorities voting and holding elected office over the past decades.
Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court removed crucial provisions of this law, there is a disturbing trend in many states to shrink access to the ballot box, threatening the right of many Americans to participate in elections.
I remain committed to fully restoring the Voting Rights Act, and I am hopeful that Congress can work in a bipartisan way to give citizens the protections they need to exercise their constitutional right to vote.
SEN. TIM KAINE
Washington
Sen. Kaine represents the people of the state of Virginia in the U.S. Senate. He is a co-sponsor of the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015.
