Menendez, Booker, cosponsor resolution to recognize September as National Voting Rights Month
NEW JERSEY – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) cosponsored the introduction of a resolution recognizing September as “National Voting Rights Month.”
This resolution will encourage voter registration in the month of September and push Congress to preserve the right to vote by restoring the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This is imperative amid Republican-led voter suppression attempts.
“As the voting rights of Americans across the country continue to be threatened, this resolution is critical in highlighting the importance of these rights, a fundamental building block of American democracy, and spreading awareness about extreme Republican efforts determined to discourage voting, particularly for communities of color, seniors, and young voters,” Menendez said. “I’m proud to cosponsor this resolution alongside Sen. Booker, and I look forward to working towards preserving the voting rights of millions of Americans through the restoration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, protecting them from any hurdles created to keep Americans from exercising their right to vote.”
“The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy,” Booker said. “However, this right has been systematically undermined as new barriers are implemented to restrict people’s right to vote. This resolution reaffirms that democracy only works when everyone can participate and underscores the importance of protecting this fundamental right.”
This resolution has been endorsed by End Citizens United, We Defend the Vote, Stand Up America.
Sen. Menendez has long supported the constitutional rights of Americans to vote, joining several colleagues in the Senate, including Sen. Booker, during National Voter Registration Month last year in presenting two bills that would make it easier for Americans all across the country to register to vote and to know their registration status.
The Same Day Voter Registration Act would require states to offer same day registration at polling locations on Election Day and during early voting. The Stop Automatically Voiding Eligible Voters Off Their Enlisted Rolls in States (SAVE VOTERS) Act would prohibit states from removing people from their voting rolls unless the state has obtained objective, reliable evidence that a voter is ineligible to vote and establishes notification requirements once a voter is removed.
These bills were included as part of the Freedom to Vote Act, voting rights legislation supported by the entire Senate Democratic Caucus.
