WHEREAS, As a result of the last presidential election, there has been overwhelming evidence that disparate procedures and antiquated machinery potentially can result in the disenfranchisement of millions of voters and that disenfranchisement having a disproportionate racial impact; and
WHEREAS, The U.S. Congress, the Pennsylvania State Legislature, and this City Council should encourage and enable every eligible American to vote by reaffirming that the right to vote is a fundamental right under the Constitution; and should encourage and enable every eligible American to vote by reaffirming that the United States, in general, and Philadelphia in particular, is a democratic Government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” where every vote counts; and
WHEREAS, The U.S. Congress, the Pennsylvania State Legislature, and this City Council should encourage and enable every eligible American to vote by eliminating procedural, physical, and technological obstacles to voting; and should counter this discrimination in voting by removing barriers to the exercise of the constitutionally protected right to vote; and
WHEREAS, The Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to outline requirements for equal protection of voting rights in Federal elections and voting rights in State and local elections and establishes a grant program to provide equal protection of voting rights with regard to States and localities; and
WHEREAS, The bill creates a Commission on Voting Rights and Procedures to study and report to the President and Congress on specified issues with respect to elections for Federal, State, and local office, including alternative voting methods, ballot designs, ballot uniformity, and absentee voting, in order to develop specific recommendations of best practices in voting and election administration; and
WHEREAS, These ideals fall in line with the City of Philadelphia Election Task Force’s 1995 Commission Report, which recognizes that the value of the right to vote is diminished if voters perceive the process as unfair, unwieldy, or inaccessible; now therefore
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
,
Urges U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum to support Senate Bill 565 and House Bill 1170 entitled “The Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001” sponsored by U.S. Representative John Conyers of Michigan and U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut.
End