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For years, the right wing has been trying to stop Black people, other
people of color, young people, and the elderly from voting for partisan
gain — and now some of America's biggest companies are helping them do it.
These companies have helped pass discriminatory voter ID legislation by
funding a right-wing policy group called the American Legislative
Exchange Council (ALEC). Voter ID bills linked to ALEC have already
passed in seven states,1 and similar voter ID bills have been introduced in 27 other states.2
Supporters of discriminatory voter ID laws claim they want to reduce
voter fraud (individuals voting illegally, or voting twice). But such
fraud almost never actually occurs, and never in amounts large enough to
affect the result of elections.3 What is clear is that voter ID laws prevent large numbers of eligible voters from casting a ballot, and could disenfranchise up to 5 million people.4
ALEC's voter ID laws are undemocratic, unjust and part of a longstanding right-wing agenda to weaken the Black vote. Major companies that rely on business from Black folks shouldn't be involved in suppressing our vote. Please join us in demanding that these companies stop funding ALEC:
ALEC’s right-wing agenda
The American Legislative Exchange Council is a behind-the-scenes group
whose membership consists of legislators and corporations who work
together to push legislation that benefits their interests. ALEC crafts
model legislation, which its member legislators then introduce in
statehouses across the country, without mentioning its corporate ties.
The group has written legislation to impose harsher criminal penalties
on juveniles, to privatize education, and to break unions.
ALEC is funded in part by the Koch Brothers, the same family that funds
the radically conservative Tea Party. It also receives funding from
large corporations, many of which are household names.
"Voter fraud" and discriminatory voter ID laws
Supporters of discriminatory voter ID laws say they're needed to stop
"voter fraud." The fact is that voter fraud rarely occurs, and when it
does occur it does not happen at a scale that would change the outcome
of an election. The kind of voter fraud addressed by the ALEC voter ID
bill happens as infrequently as death by lightning.5
Over and over again, the myth of widespread voter fraud is used to
justify stronger restrictions on voting and voter registration (like
voter ID laws), as well as voter roll purges. It has also been used to
attack organizations that register large numbers of low-income and
minority voters, by painting simple mistakes made during registration
drives as organized efforts to commit voter fraud. These kind of made up
scandals have helped the right wing convince the public that voter
fraud is real and voter ID laws are necessary to protect the integrity
of elections.
The truth is that voter ID laws are discriminatory — Black people,
Latinos, the elderly, students, people with disabilities, and the poor
are all less likely to have the photo IDs necessary to vote under these
laws.6 For example, if you've recently moved because of
foreclosure or some other economic circumstance, you're more likely to
have recently ended up in a new state that won't accept your
out-of-state driver's license. If you don't have a car, you're less
likely to have a driver's license in the first place.
In many states, it can be expensive and time-consuming to secure the
proper ID. Even when the ID itself is free, it often requires supporting
documents like a birth certificate that cost money to acquire. There
are already stories of voters who have been eligible for years
struggling to navigate a frustrating bureaucratic maze in order to vote.
Requiring ID to vote amounts to a modern-day poll tax. And that's the
real purpose of voter ID laws — they are an important part of the modern
effort to suppress the votes of groups that usually vote against
right-wing politicians.
These laws are part of a long history of voter suppression directed at
Black folks and other underrepresented groups. No longer is the Black
vote suppressed through violence, intimidation and literacy tests. It’s
now suppressed through laws that make it burdensome and difficult for
many Black folks to vote.
Corporate-backed voter suppression
Some of the companies supporting ALEC may simply be unaware that the
group is involved in voter suppression. Others might think that voter
suppression will benefit their political interests, and hope that they
can get away with supporting it because so few people have even heard of
ALEC.
We've started reaching out to these companies to make sure they know
what they're supporting, and to demand that they stop. Adding your voice
to this campaign will help us convince these companies that continuing
to support ALEC will hurt their reputation with consumers. We hope that
many of them will simply do the right thing and stop supporting ALEC. If
they don't, we'll be prepared to shine a spotlight on them and make
sure the world understands what they're involved in.
Please take a moment to join us in standing up to corporate-backed voter
suppression. And please ask your friends and family to do the same. It
takes just a moment:
Thanks and Peace,
-- Rashad, Gabriel, Dani, Matt, Natasha, Kim and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
December 8th, 2011
December 8th, 2011
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References
1. "New Evidence of ALEC Connections in All Successful Voter ID Legislation," Campus Progress, 09-08-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/
http://act.colorofchange.org/
2. "First, show your face," The Economist, 09-17-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/
http://act.colorofchange.org/
3. “The Myth Of Voter Fraud,” Washington Post, 03-29-07
http://act.colorofchange.org/
http://act.colorofchange.org/
4. “GOP, ALEC Could Make It Harder For 5 Million To Cast Ballots,” Mother Jones, 10-3-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/
http://act.colorofchange.org/
5. See reference 3.
6. "Citizens without Proof," [.pdf] Brennan Center For Justice, 11-2006
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http://act.colorofchange.org/
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