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Action on Voting Rights

  • Action on Voting Rights

    Congresswoman Fudge hosted a Special Order session, on voter suppression, on the House floor in January. Watch a clip here:

    Congresswoman Fudge testified at a voting rights hearing in November of 2011. View clip here:

    On November 1, 2011, Congresswoman Fudge hosted a session on the House floor to discuss attempts to suppress voting by state legislatures and Governors across the nation.  She was joined by Whip Steny Hoyer and 12 other members including, Rep. Tim Ryan (Ohio), Rep. Danny Davis (Illinois), Rep. Rush Holt (New Jersey), Rep. Gwen Moore (Wisconsin), Rep. Betty Sutton (Ohio), Rep. Hank Johnson (Georgia), Rep. Al Green (Texas), Rep. Terri Sewell (Alabama), and Rep. Barbara Lee (California).  

    Congresswoman Fudge spoke about suppressive voting measures in Ohio, including Republican attempts to suppress voting through limiting the ability of citizens to vote by mail in Cuyahoga County. View the video here:

    Highlights from the press conference held in July of 2011 on suppressive voting laws:

Ohio's Voter ID Laws

For decades we have been fighting for voting rights because voting is the most fundamental element of our democracy.  However, some state governments, including Ohio, have attempted to suppress voting by certain populations.  Some have implemented voter ID bills; other states have limited the voting period, as well as early voting. These changes will hit vulnerable communities the hardest: our seniors, those who are disabled, college students and low-income Americans.  It is unconstitutional, and unacceptable.  These provisions will prevent eligible Americans from participating.

In 2013, Congresswoman Fudge sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder asking him to examine House Bill 269 and Senate Bill 238, two pending bills in Ohio, which impose photo identification restrictions and reduce early voting days, respectively. In her letter, Congresswoman Fudge says the proposed legislation will impede the voting ability of minorities, students and the elderly.


House Bill 269 has a strict requirement for each voter to produce a photo identification card although more than 900,000 Ohioans lack such documentation, according to a 2012 Policy Matters Ohio study. One of every four, or 260,000, eligible African American, and 290,000 senior voters would be adversely impacted. Ultimately, this constraint is a poll tax that violates the 14th Amendment.

Senate Bill 238 will eliminate Golden Week, a time Ohioans can register to vote and cast a ballot simultaneously. This practice, used by African American and low-income voters at high rates, limits access to the polls to 28 or 29 days rather than the current 35. Republicans have cited voter fraud as a concern, but not one prosecuted case of fraud has stemmed from Golden Week.

On February 5, 2013, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Shelby County v. Holder. This case considered the constitutionality Section 5 and Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These provisions were created to protect residents in states with history of voter intimidation and discrimination. Thus, I introduced the Nation Voting Rights Mobilization Day, which recognizes February 5 as a day that should be acknowledged.