Press Releases

(DETROIT)—Last week, a three-judge District Court in D.C. blocked onerous legislation requiring an individual to show a photo identification before casting a ballot in an election.  The court found the law to be discriminatory, and would effectively limit the right to vote of minorities and poor voters.  Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released this statement following the court’s decision:

“I applaud the decision by the District Court in D.C. to block the reprehensible voter ID law,” said Conyers.  “The court was correct in recognizing the discriminatory impact that voter ID requirements have on  minority voters, amounting to voter suppression.

“I also commend the Department of Justice’s enforcement of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.  The vigorous enforcement of this important piece of legislation protects groups who have historically experienced discrimination by states. Given the three recent decisions that the D.C. Court has issued rejecting voting changes across the country, it is now up to Congress to turn back any coordinated efforts designed to limit the historical trend of expanding voting rights.”

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