07.19.17

NEW YORK – In response to the White House’s creation and first meeting of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Election Integrity, Emma Greenman, director of the Voting Rights and Democracy campaign, released the following statement:

“Today, the Trump Administration’s so-called Presidential Advisory Committee on “Election Integrity” holds its first meeting at the White House. Trump created this commission to justify his unfounded claim that he lost the the popular vote because of millions of illegal votes and to lay the groundwork for a national agenda to restrict access to the ballot. You only have to look at who’s leading the commission -- Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the king of voter suppression -- to know what’s at stake for American voters.

"Kobach has an infamous record of disenfranchising voters in Kansas and now there are emails making it clear that he plans to spread his discriminatory tactics nationwide, undermining the National Voter Registration Act with documentary proof of citizenship and other changes that make it harder to register and vote. We need to protect the security of our elections and ensure that every eligible person can cast a ballot that is counted. But instead of focusing on common sense steps to safeguard and improve our electoral process, this sham commission is demanding extensive data on every voter in America and already revealed its predetermined objective of making it harder for Americans to vote.

"Trump's, Pence's and Kobach’s strategy to promote voter restrictions that would prevent millions of eligible voters from participating in our democracy. Plain and simple. We need voter protection, not voter suppression. We cannot allow Pence, Kobach or this sham commission disenfranchise or depress vital participation in our democracy. Instead we must double down on reforms like Automatic Voter Registration and online voter registration that make our systems more accessible and secure. And we should expand the franchise by restoring the voting rights of formerly incarcerated citizens once they have returned to their community. Our democracy works best when more people participate and this commission does the opposite.

"This is why we at the Center for Popular Democracy are launching state and national efforts to protect and expand voting rights for millions of voters in states across the country. We need to fight back to protect American voters against every unconstitutional, unjust and undemocratic move that the Pence-Kobach sham election commission makes.”

###

www.populardemocracy.org
The Center for Popular Democracy promotes equity, opportunity, and a dynamic democracy in partnership with innovative base-building organizations, organizing networks and alliances, and progressive unions across the country. CPD builds the strength and capacity of democratic organizations to envision and advance a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial justice agenda.

Contact: Samy Olivares, solivares@populardemocracy.org