On Monday, February 4th, fellow Members of Congress, including Assistant House Speaker Ben Ray Lujan, joined me at the first Congressional listening session regarding Texas voter discrimination against African American and Latino citizens since 1982. With only 68 percent of eligible voters registered in the state, it is imperative that we start the movement toward an electorate that actually reflects the priorities and diversities of our communities.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision in Shelby County v. Holder in 2013 eliminated preclearance requirements under the Voting Rights Act, which led to the closure of hundreds of polling locations in Texas—significantly more in number and percentage than any other state. In addition, the Texas Election Code only requires a 72-hour notice of polling location changes. These are just a few examples of the erosion of equal access to voting.
At the hearing, we also learned of instances where the state has tried to intimidate Latino voters through voter id laws and often times, poorly trained poll workers exacerbate this voter intimidation.
I am pleased that the Committee on House Administration’s Subcommittee on Elections, which is chaired by Rep. Marcia Fudge, chose Brownsville to hold its first of many meetings on this issue. It was an honor to be a part of such an important discussion. I would also like to thank the panel participants for their efforts to end voter discrimination by bringing attention to this important issue.
