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Voting Rights

Floor Speech

By: Judy Chu
By: Judy Chu
Date: Nov. 15, 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Elections

Ms. CHU. There was a time when women and minorities could not vote in this country. People were jailed and even killed for the right to vote. But because people fought back, every U.S. citizen gained the right to vote--that is, up until now.

This year, an unprecedented 42 bills were introduced in various States to deprive you of that right. States have passed voter ID laws that would stop 21 million legal U.S. citizens from voting, including your grandmother who was born in this country and lived here for 82 years. Why? Because she no longer drives and doesn't have a picture ID.

These laws would stop early voting and voting by mail, so that if you know you have to travel out of town or have an operation on Election Day, you would be deprived of casting your vote. This threatens the very basis of our democracy.

We must work together to protect every American's right to vote.


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