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For Immediate Release
Contact:

Janessa Sambola-Harris, sambolaharris@civilrights.org 

McCurdy to Congress: Every American Must Have Free and Fair Access to the Ballot

WASHINGTON

Jesselyn McCurdy, interim executive vice president of government affairs of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, will testify before the Committee on House Administration, Subcommittee on Elections today on the role polling place quality and restrictions play in free and fair access to the ballot. In her testimony, McCurdy emphasizes the urgency in passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to ensure that every voter, no matter their background or area code, can cast a vote and have it counted.

"The right to vote freely and safely has not been under this kind of heightened attack since the salvo of disenfranchisement laws that came on the heels of Reconstruction's demise. Today's assaults result from a conflagration of events: unmitigated disinformation, heightened polarization, politician-stoked fears, and white supremacy that made itself most visible on January 6 in an attempted coup on the federal government," says McCurdy.

"The bipartisan reauthorizations of the [Voting Rights Act] demonstrate that we can come together as a nation to uphold our most sacred right. The very heart of our democracy -- affecting every American, no matter their race, wealth, or political stripe -- depends on ensuring that every eligible voter can have their say. Policies may shift, the pendulum will undoubtedly swing. But our collective voices must be heard, no matter who is in power. Indeed, there is no democracy otherwise. Congress has come to the country's rescue in the past, and it must do so again now. We urge you to pass historic legislation in honor of Congressman John Lewis that would restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act and make the promise of our democracy real at last," she adds.

McCurdy's full testimony can be found here.

A livestream of the hearing is available here.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. Through advocacy and outreach to targeted constituencies, The Leadership Conference works toward the goal of a more open and just society - an America as good as its ideals.

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