Washington, DC - Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay took to the floor of the US House today to urge the reauthorization of the landmark Voting Rights Act.  The Congressman pointed to the results of a newly published national study by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.  “This massive project, which interviewed thousands of voters and election officials across the country, concluded that there is still a shocking, continuing reality of racial discrimination in voting that is pervasive, and these problems are nationwide,” said Clay.

The Congressman pointed to three disturbing findings from the new study that reinforce the urgent need to continue the protections guaranteed by the Voting Rights Act.  “First, records from the US Department of Justice confirm that the actual number of documented complaints to federal officials regarding unfair election practices was higher from 1982 – 2004, than from 1965 – 1982,” said Clay.  “Second, the study confirms that polling places and voting hours in minority neighborhoods were routinely changed shortly before elections.  And finally, election officials were found to have illegally purged voters from registration lists and to have refused to translate election materials for citizens who have difficulty with English,” said Mr. Clay.

Portions of the groundbreaking law are scheduled to expire in 2007.  Mr. Clay, along with two dozen of his colleagues, urged Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to reauthorize the legislation without amendments that would weaken the enforcement provisions.  “Congress has a duty to defend the voting rights of every citizen.  The Voting Rights Act is the best weapon available to accomplish that,” said the Congressman.