| Speaker | Time | Text |
|---|---|---|
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unidentified
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| The National Archives gives us a little bit of the history of the Voting Rights Act on this anniversary day, signed on August the 6th, 1965, by President Johnson. | ||
| It outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, including literacy tests as a prerequisite to voting. | ||
| Going on to say, this act to enforce the 15th Amendment to the Constitution was signed into law 95 years after the amendment was ratified. | ||
| In those years, African Americans in the South faced tremendous obstacles to voting, including poll taxes, literary taxes, and other bureaucratic restrictions to deny them the right to vote. | ||
| They also risked harassment, intimidation, economic reprisals, and physical violence when they tried to register to vote. | ||
| As a result, African American voter registration was limited along with political power. | ||
| That's from the Voting Rights Act, some of the elements of the original act. | ||
| This also provided by the National Archives saying that it outlawed literary tests. | ||
| For amongst other things, it provided for the appointment of federal examiners in jurisdictions that were covered under the act. | ||
| That was according to a formula provided in the statute. | ||
| It required those covered districts, jurisdictions to obtain pre-clearance for any new voting practices or procedures that were put into place. | ||
| It applied a nationwide prohibition to the denial or abridgment of the right to vote on the account of race or color. | ||
| And it directed the Attorney General at the time to challenge the use of poll taxes in state and local elections. | ||
| That's just some of the elements there. | ||
| To go back in history a little bit to the legal challenges of the Voting Rights Act, this is a story from the Associated Press in June of 2013, saying that a deeply divided Supreme Court threw out the most powerful part of the Voting Rights Act, a decision deplored by the White House but cheered by mostly southern states now free from nearly 50 years of intense federal oversight. | ||
| Split along ideological and partisan lines, the justices voted 5-4 to strip the government of its most potent tool, stopping voting bias, a requirement in the Voting Rights Act that all or parts of 15 states with a history of discrimination and voting mainly in the South get Washington's approval before changing the way they hold elections. | ||
| It was Chief Justice John Roberts writing for the majority of conservative Republican appointed justices, saying that the law's provision that determines which states are covered is unconstitutional because it relies on a 40-year-old data and does not account for racial progress and other changes to U.S. society. | ||
| That was back in 2013 amongst the legal challenges that have faced the act since it was imposed and signed into law. | ||
| To bring it up to today, when it comes to overall your thoughts on the fairness of voting, where do you think it stands as of today? | ||
| Again, here's how you can let us know. | ||
| Republicans 202-748-8001, Democrats 202-748-8000, and Independents 202-748-8002. | ||
| You can always text us at 202-748-8003. | ||
| Our social media sites available to you as well on Facebook and on X. Is voting more fair today, 60 years after the signing of the Voting Rights Act? | ||
| Mike in Ohio, Democrats line, you start us off. | ||
| Go ahead. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Good morning. | |
| How you doing today? | ||
| Fine, thank you. | ||
| Go ahead, please. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I never had any problem voting, and really it's the only tool that we have in this country. | |
| I'm very much in favor of it, and they make it very easy to do. | ||
| And thank you for your time. | ||
| When you say easy to do, elaborate on that, especially as it goes to the idea of fairness 60 years later. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Well, I mean, my precinct is right on the street where I live. | |
| I just walk down. | ||
| I never had any problem voting. | ||
| You just go in, give them your driver's license, and that's it. | ||
| You know, it's and people there are nice, they're friendly. | ||
| You know, like I said, I never had any problem. | ||
| And I think that it's one great thing about our country. | ||
| Okay. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Also, also, I think the people, what I have seen, are very fair and honest. | |
| And the League of Woman Voters, I mean, they keep on top of everything. | ||
| They're in Ohio, there, where you vote. | ||
| It's the groups like that that keep it fair and honest. | ||
| That's what you're saying. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I mean, they want everybody that has the right to vote to vote. | |
| Like I said, it's the only voice that we have, really. | ||
| And as long as it's on the up and up, then I think it's a great thing. | ||
| Okay. | ||
| Mike there in Ohio, Democrats line when it comes to the topic. | ||
| Dawn in Massachusetts, Republican line, is voting more fair today? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Hello. | |
| I was around at that time. | ||
| And I think it depends on where you live. | ||
| At the time, I lived in New England, Springfield, Massachusetts area. | ||
| And when I retired, I volunteered to work the polls. | ||
|
unidentified
|
And it's not right where we are. | |
| I've been a sub. | ||
| I never was trained, but I'm very aware of what the rules are. | ||
| So I believe the South back in the 60s was very different. | ||
| So I think it depends on your location. | ||
| Do you think that's still the case today or geographically even? | ||
| Or do you think there's fairness all the way around when it comes to the process? | ||
|
unidentified
|
I don't think it's geographically even because if I look at neighboring towns and I follow those, I also follow Connecticut because I spent a lot of time, the majority of my life in Connecticut. | |
| So I think it very much depends on which city or town you're in and which state. | ||
| So, yeah, there were never poll taxes up here. | ||
| Okay. | ||
| Dawn in Massachusetts, Gregory in California. | ||
| You're next. | ||
| Is voting more fair today? | ||
| Gregory in California. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Hello. | |
| Go ahead. | ||
| Gregory and Sherman Oaks. | ||
| Hello. | ||
| One more time for Gregory. | ||
| Okay. | ||
| Folks that you're calling in, make sure that you're ready to get on the line when you are called upon. | ||
| But again, this idea of fairness when it comes to the voting process, do you think it's more fair today, 60 years after the signing of the Voting Rights Act? | ||
| 202748-8001 for Republicans, 202-748-8000 for Democrats, and 202748-8002 for independents. | ||
| And text us your thoughts too at 202-748-8003. | ||
| The topic of the Voting Rights Act came up during a press conference in Chicago. | ||
| Texas Democrats who have fled the state to keep that voting from redistricting happening within the state. | ||
| Convening with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, he talking about the Voting Rights Act, comparing it to the events of today. | ||
| Here he is from yesterday. | ||
| They've decided that the only way to save themselves is to cheat, to change the rules in the middle of the game. | ||
| And what do MAGA Republicans in Texas do when Donald Trump ignores, well, his oath of office and theirs, and when they're taking it upon themselves to thwart the will of the American people? | ||
| Well, they say when Donald Trump calls, they say, yes, sir, right away, sir. | ||
| Happy to lick your boot, sir. | ||
| When Donald Trump says jump, Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton say, how high? | ||
| They don't care that they're violating the Voting Rights Act and racially gerrymandering their state. | ||
| Well, they're hoping they can rob the bank and get away before anyone notices. | ||
| Texas Republicans are trying to diminish the voting power of their own constituents and in doing so, diminish the rights of Illinois and all Americans. | ||
| Texas House Democrats are putting their lives on hold and their livelihoods at risk because they don't want to live in a country where the president rigs elections for his side. | ||
| Again, J.B. Pritzker from yesterday is voting more fair today. | ||
| Let's hear from Loretta in Ohio, Democrats line. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Hi. | |
| Hey, Pedro, how are you? | ||
| Good morning, America. | ||
| Now, Pedro, you know doggone well that voting is not fair. | ||
| And the point that I want to really make is that it is sad that here we are talking about the land of the free, the home of the brave, one person, one vote. | ||
| You know, we got all of these colloquialisms that we supposed to be our mantra to describe America, but none of it is in practice. | ||
| None of it. | ||
| You don't want diversity. | ||
| You don't want equity. | ||
| And you don't want inclusion. | ||
| Well, Loretta, tell me if, Loretta, tell me if you think voting isn't fair. | ||
| Give me a specific how it's not fair. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Because section two of the Voting Rights Act has been gutted. | |
| And the point of it is, is that, I mean, let's just face the fact, you got some people who don't want other people to have anything. | ||
| And it's been like that forever. | ||
| I mean, we, black people were brought here in chains, worked for 400 years and got nothing. | ||
| Well, if I may ask, in your experience, have you always been able to vote? | ||
|
unidentified
|
I've always been able to vote because I'm in Ohio and Ohio was not a part of the Confederacy, which it seems to be trying to lean into now, becoming a red state. | |
| But see, you got to keep up with the history. | ||
| I mean, times do change, but the stuff that matters, it don't. | ||
| Okay. | ||
| Okay, that's Loretta in Ohio. | ||
| Let's hear from John in D.C., Republican line. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Hello. | |
| Good morning. | ||
| Thank you so much. | ||
| I answered your question. | ||
| I have to say, no, I don't think it's fair. | ||
| I think we go through these periods of it waning back and forth where it becomes fair and then it's, you know, but it's a constant struggle. | ||
| It's almost like trying to paddle upstream. | ||
| You can make progress, but as soon as you stop rowing, you're going to go, you know, in the direction you don't want to go in. | ||
| And I think you were correct at the beginning when you mentioned poll taxing. | ||
| You mentioned literacy tests and geez, it was the third one, I can't remember. | ||
| But I'm just looking at, you know, today there is this big discussion over gerrymandering. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Well, I mean, it's one of the oldest plays in the book, and people are trying to do it, and it's obvious as to why. | |
| And, you know, I think everybody who has the right to vote should have that opportunity. | ||
| But I know a couple of presidential elections ago, you know, I live in D.C. | ||
| It only took me 20 minutes to vote, but there were some people in the surrounding counties, particularly Prince George's County, who were standing in line for hours. | ||
| And so I've never had to go three hours by bus to get to a poll or any of that stuff. | ||
| And I can't imagine what that's like for other people. | ||
| But I have to say, in answer to your question, I don't think it is fair. | ||
| And it's obvious why. | ||
| People want what they want when they want it. | ||
| And if they have to gerrymander or purge names off the rolls, the last thing I'm going to say is. | ||
| Well, let me ask you this. | ||
| As a Republican, what do you think about that Republican effort in Texas? | ||
|
unidentified
|
I don't think it's, I don't think it's, it's not honest and it's not fair. | |
| And I would say it, I don't care what side of the aisle. | ||
| If people have the right to vote, they should have it. | ||
| But you trying to take it away from them, it's just not right. | ||
| John in D.C., giving us his thoughts. | ||
| Let's go to Becky in Wisconsin, Independent Line. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Hi. | |
| Hi. | ||
| Thank you for taking my call. | ||
| I do think voting is somewhat more fair than it used to be, but I agree with your previous caller. | ||
| There's an effort always to be making it harder. | ||
| Currently, Wisconsin passed a referendum to require more identifications than it used to. | ||
| The referendum was worded so that it seemed like, oh, why wouldn't you want to show ID? | ||
| Well, we already had to show ID to vote. | ||
| Now they're making it more stringent, and you have to have the real ID with more confirmation of who you are. | ||
| So what I did, I have an ID, and I've never had a problem voting, but I went to get a passport anyhow just because this current climate made me like fearful that things would be a problem. | ||
| I had to, because I was out of state, I had to send for an out-of-state birth certificate, which cost money, took about two weeks, and then I did that, and then the birth certificate itself took another two weeks and quite a bit more money. | ||
| So people who are in more financial straits would have a hard time voting with that extra expense. | ||
| Plus, when I got married, I did not change my last name. | ||
| But I know somebody who did change their last name. | ||
| She had to show her birth certificate. | ||
| She had to get her marriage license, divorce. | ||
| She was married, divorced, then widowed. | ||
| She had to show ID for all of those name changes. | ||
| So I think the move is to repress voting among women, particularly, because we're the ones who've changed names when we got married. | ||
| I didn't do that, so that made it easier. | ||
| But I was from out of sporn, out of state. | ||
| That made it much more difficult. | ||
| So I think that there's always pressure to be changing it to harder. | ||
| Okay. | ||
| Becky Vera in Wisconsin. | ||
| Some of you posting on Facebook. | ||
| Kevin James says that when it comes to voting, thinking that it's very fair, he says. | ||
| Now it needs to be secure. | ||
| Todd Kreveling saying not at all. | ||
| Republicans have done all they could to keep people from voting. | ||
| Our votes have been fair. | ||
| The Republicans just hate the outcomes. | ||
| Rather than present ideas to cooperate with the other side, these races impede voting. | ||
| Crooked cowards, he adds. | ||
| Stephen Hammond from Facebook as well saying voting for he's voted over for 40 years, always had to show his ID. | ||
| Some of you mentioning that ID factor. | ||
| You can bring that into the conversation or other elements you think when it comes to the overall idea of if voting is more fair today. | ||
| It was Greg Abbott on Fox News yesterday talking about that redistricting effort, highlighting what he says would make the process more fair in Texas. | ||
| Here's a portion of that from yesterday. | ||
| What Texas is doing, actually, we're drawing districts to provide every voter in the state the opportunity to cast a vote for the party in Canada of their choice. | ||
| For the five districts we're drawing, they're going to be Hispanic districts. | ||
| They happen to be Hispanic Republican districts. | ||
| One is going to restore the Barbara Jordan district in Harris County, Texas. | ||
| And so what Democrats are really concerned about, if you look under the hood, is the fact that Hispanics and even black voters are voting more for Republicans than they have for Democrats in the past. | ||
| The results of President Trump's electoral victory prove that. |