06 elections crucial. Special provisions of Voters Rights act could expire

[henslee]

The special provisions of the Voting Rights Act such as, Section 5 -- prohibiting some state or local governing bodies, from state legislators to school boards, from changing in any way, regulation, or practice that effects the right to vote without first submitting the change to the United States Department of Justice or the federal courts for approval. Any voting change made within one of the federally covered jurisdictions, must be submitted for preclearance from the United States Department of Justice. The federally covered jurisdictions are, all of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia and, so are parts of North Carolina, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, New York, Wyoming, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. This requirement gives citizens the chance to prevent or stop discriminatory practices before they actually take place, such as at-large elections, discriminatory redistricting, the use of unsuitable polling place locations, or re registering requirements. Section 5 is especially important because it provides a quick, efficient way to halt new efforts in covered jurisdictions to discriminate against minority voters.

The special provisions included in Section 5 of Voting Rights Act of 1965 were extended to 1970, and again to 1975. In 1975 the Act was amended to include members of certain language minority groups; citizens of Spanish, Native Alaskan, American Indian, and Asian heritage are now protected under the Act. The Act also protects any voter who needs assistance in the voting process because of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write. Finally, in 1982 Section 5 of the Act was extended for 25 years, hence the 2007 paranoia. The need to re-authorize Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is extremely imperative. Though not reauthorizing Section 5 does not seem a done deal, IT IS WRONG TO TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION.

This data taken from following site.

http://www.lawyerscomm.org/projects/blackvote2007.html

[VivaKerry]

1. Christ, they actually thought FORTY YEARS would result

in us actually moving forward as a nation, and that the VRA would not be necessary because we would be soooooooo evolved and anti-discriminatory. We are a let down.

[henslee]

2. I have to kick my own thread. I need some brain trustees to weigh in.

[henslee]

3. and i will kick again.. I heard some election attorneys talking about this

and I need to know. This material could not be laid out any clearer than it is.

[The Flaming Red Head]

4. front page news

or should be!

[henslee]

5. rekick.