Today, members of the United States Senate urged Attorney General Eric Holder to review restrictive photo identification requirements under federal election law.
In a letter, the Senators cautioned that “these measures have the potential to block millions of eligible American voters without addressing any problem commensurate with this kind of restriction on voting rights.”
Photo ID requirements, they say, may be subject to extensive scrutiny under federal election and civil rights laws. For example, under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, several jurisdictions are required to seek preclearance before implementing an election law due to their history in voting rights discrimination.
“Voting is the foundation of our democracy, and we urge you to protect the voting rights of Americans by using the full power of the Department of Justice to review these voter identification laws and scrutinize their implementation.”
Read the full letter, via www.866ourvote.org here.