LDF Welcomes Senate Bill to Shut Down President’s Election Integrity Commission
Earlier today, a diverse group of Senators led by Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Anti-Voter Suppression Act, which would repeal President Trump’s May 11 executive order that created an “election integrity” commission. That commission was formed with the stated purpose of investigating voter fraud in American elections, despite the fact that study after study has shown that in-person voter fraud is virtually nonexistent in the United States. The bill would also deny funding to any commission created to investigate voter fraud, which is often used to justify efforts to suppress the voting rights of American citizens, especially citizens of color. Todd A. Cox, Director of Policy at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), issued the following statement:
“Far from ensuring the integrity of our elections, the president’s commission is preparing to undermine it, using a false premise to justify a massive inquiry into state voting rolls, the first step towards widespread voter suppression. It is a sad day when we need Congress to prevent the White House from taking part in a campaign to strip away voting rights, but unfortunately, that day has arrived. This bill sends a clear message that we must protect the right of every eligible voter to register and go to the polls without fear of intimidation or interference. We will not stand by idly while this administration attacks our democracy.”
Co-chaired by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a zealous proponent of the voter fraud myth, the election integrity commission recently sent letters to all 50 Secretaries of State requesting “publicly available voter-roll data,” including full names, last four digits of social security number, and felony convictions, among many other personal data. This request was met with widespread resistance, with more than 40 states refusing to comply with some or all of the commission’s request.
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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.
