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Congress to hold hearing on territorial voting rights
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Posted on Jul 27 2020
On Tuesday, July 28, 2020, the House Administration Committee’s Subcommittee on Elections will hold a hearing to address the denial of voting rights in U.S. territories—an historic first. While Congress has regularly held hearings addressing issues of political status in U.S. territories, never before has it held a hearing focused specifically on the issue of voting rights and disenfranchisement in these areas.
“One hundred days from now, Americans will go to the polls to elect the next president, one-third of the Senate, and the entire House. But almost 4 million citizens who live in U.S. territories will once again have to sit on the sidelines of American democracy while everyone else has their say,” said Neil Weare, president and founder of Equally American, a nonpartisan public interest law organization that works to advance equality and voting rights in U.S. territories. “The idea that in the year 2020 millions of U.S. citizens remain unable to vote simply because of where they live cannot be squared with America’s democratic and constitutional principles.”
Weare added: “I applaud Chair Fudge and Ranking Member Davis for holding this historic hearing, and I look forward to testifying in support of voting rights for residents of U.S. territories.”
The House Subcommittee on Elections will meet virtually at 10am EDT. The first panel will consist of statements by members of Congress from each territory. Weare and other witnesses from the territories will participate in the second panel.
The hearing may be viewed live AT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJWT8poFQs8&feature=youtu.be, and more information is available at https://cha.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/voting-rights-and-election-administration-us-virgin-islands-and-other. (PR)
