The systematic disenfranchisement of key segments of the voting population continues to challenge the integrity of the elections process and undermine our democracy. Since the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision gutting the Voting Rights Act, many states have enacted laws that suppress the vote, targeting low-income communities and communities of color. At this very moment dozens of states are moving to enact new voter suppression laws not seen since the Jim Crow era. This is both a civil rights and a racial justice issue – and a Jewish concern to its core.
JCPA believes that the right to vote and participate in our democracy is a core American Jewish value—a civic and religious duty. The bedrock of our democratic process is the right of every eligible citizen to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted. Achieving a government that is responsive to the needs and aspirations of its people is possible only through maximum citizen participation in the electoral process.
Our top voting rights priorities are increasing access to the ballot box, strengthening democratic institutions, and expanding representation. We are pushing for the restoration and expansion of the Voting Rights Act, and sweeping democracy reforms to prevent voter suppression, help improve elections, advance voting rights (including for formerly incarcerated people), and reform campaign finance and ethics rules. JCPA maintains its long-standing support D.C. Statehood, which would ensure the same political rights for residents of the District as for those of rest of the country.
