Universal suffrage. One man, one vote. This is the language of American democracy, and if the 15th amendment to the Constitution doesn’t cover all the bases, the Voting Rights act of 1965 is supposed to provide the muscle to make sure everyone counts.
In election 2000, however, many blacks and poor people who headed to the polls didn’t factor in the outcome. Politically-charged reports, numerous anecdotes, and damning statistical reviews blame everything from faulty machines to institutional racism.
The US Department of Justice calls the Voting Rights Act “The most successful piece of civil rights legislation ever,” but as election reform proposals roll through legislatures and commissions, it seems it’s time to look again at access to the polls in the U-S.
(Hosted by John Donvan)
Guests:
Heather Gerkin, Harvard Law School professor, Hilary Shelton, NAACP Washington Bureau chief, and Penda Hair, voting right lawyer and co-director of the Advancement Project