Read a PDF of our statement here.
LDF Sends Letter to Columbus City Council Over At-Large Electoral Method
Today, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) sent a letter to the Columbus City Council, urging it to consider how its current electoral structure may diminish the voices of Black voters in Columbus, who have the right to elect candidates of their choice and participate equally in the political process. No Black candidate has been elected to office in recent history without an initial appointment under the current structure, including those incumbents elected in this November’s election. Everyday People for Positive Change (“EDP”), a ballot issue committee, believe that under this electoral method, the voting strength of Columbus’ Black community is significantly weakened. LDF is conducting a review of Columbus’ at-large electoral method for members of its city council at EDP’s request. We have substantial concerns that it violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Read our full letter here.
Read the City’s responses to LDF’s letter here and here.
Read LDF’s reply to the City’s response here.
Press:
###
Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.
