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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
National Urban League President Marc Morial.
Rep. John Lewis [D.Ga.]
Donna Brazile, vice chairman of the Democratic Party
In an effort to fight against a sustained voter suppression effort by Republicans, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, National Urban League President Marc Morial, Rep. John Lewis [D.Ga.] and Donna Brazile, vice chairman of the Democratic Party urged guests who attended the Congressional Black Caucus’ 42nd Annual Legislative Conference to vote in the upcoming election and to not be deterred. /Courtesy Photos
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8 Oct. 4, 2012 - Oct. 10, 2012
than our honor.” “Our strength is our vote which is why it’s under attack.” National Urban League President Marc H. Morial agrees. “These new laws are a thinlyveiled attempt to drive down turnout among people of color, senior citizens and students,” Morial said, noting that new laws have been introduced in 41 states since 2010, and passed in 17 states and appear to target very specific voting blocs. “While some of the laws have been struck down by the courts, millions of people could face new hurdles when they go to cast their ballots. We want to make sure everyone is properly registered and prepared.” On National Voter Registration Day, besides CBC members, volunteers, representatives from organized labor, celebrities, and organizations such as the Fair The Washington Informer
Elections Legal Network, the League of Women’s Voters, Non Profit Vote and Voto Latino hit the streets on a “single day of coordinated field, technology and media efforts” to create a blanket of awareness of registration opportunities. It is provisional balloting that could cause election officials heartburn. The new voting laws in key swing states could force a lot more voters to cast provisional ballots in November. Delays of results in close races might not be known for days or weeks while election officials pore over ballots and campaigns stake out positions over which votes should be counted. It is expected that the new laws in competitive states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia and Florida could easily leave the eventual outcome of the election in doubt, particularly if the vote is close. Meanwhile, recently implemented laws in Tennessee, Kansas and South Carolina could precipitate delays
in the release of results in local and state elections. Voters cast provisional ballots because they failed to update their voter registration; their right to vote may be challenged; or because they didn’t bring proper ID to the polls. Verifying that those who cast provisional votes is one thing, but that process could take election officials days or weeks. Another layer of uncertainty exists because elections officials won’t know the number of provisional ballots cast until after Election Day. If a candidate wins by a landslide, then provisional ballots will carry much less weight but their importance shifts if the race between Obama and Romney and between congressional challengers is close. Donna Brazile, veteran political strategist, academic and vice chairman of the Democratic
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