DNC Voting Rights Institute Chair Donna Brazile Testifies On Protecting the Right to Vote from Intimidation

On the anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" commemorating the civil and voting rights march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in which demonstrators were assaulted by state troopers, Democratic National Committee Voting Rights Institute Chair Donna Brazile testified before the House Judiciary Committee on the need to protect the right to vote from acts of intimidation, harassment, fraud and abuse. The hearing was held on a bill introduced by Democrats entitled the "Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007", which would define deceptive election practices and increase the criminal penalties for those who attempt to practice voter fraud and intimidation.

Just last year, Congress renewed the historic Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act of 1965 which ensured that voters could exercise their rights free from intimidation and harassment. But recent elections have shown that the right to vote remains vulnerable because of those who target poor communities, minorities, seniors and young people. The practice of disenfranchising Americans has become more sophisticated including phone jamming operations, misleading mailers, outright intimidation by using poll watchers and lack of resources to process voter registration forms thereby forcing Americans to cast provisional ballots.

In her testimony, Brazile pointed out that, "The rise in voter harassment and voter intimidation is a direct result of some political operatives – often with the blessing of their political leaders trying to gain an electoral advantage at the ballot box. This practice of discouraging people from voting, from schemes that misinform or challenge the electoral status of eligible citizens to participate, should be outlawed in this nation."

Brazile called on the United States to lead the way, saying that, "The United States of America must lead by example. While the US encourages other nations to adopt broad democratic principles and reform, we need to make a basic policy decision that it is in the best interest of our democratic form of government to encourage all eligible citizens to register and vote."

Finally, Brazile called on Congress, with bipartisan support from Republicans and the Bush Administration, to pass critical legislation that would work to remove impediments to the ballot box.

For a full copy of Donna Brazile's testimony click here.