Ellison, Pocan lead call for Constitutional amendment to guarantee the right to vote
With the right to vote being questioned in states throughout the nation, representatives from neighboring states are calling on Congress to amend the Constitution to ensure citizens’ rights to vote.
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) gathered this past Thursday (April 9) with organizers in North Minneapolis to rally support for an amendment that would end what they called an assault on voting rights throughout the nation. The pair of Democratic representatives said they are trying to build bipartisan support for the proposed amendment, but say most challenges to voting are coming from the Republican right.
“Coming from Wisconsin we have some of the best to show for in the past in this area (of protecting the right to vote), and some of the worst in the current,” said Pocan, referring to current Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who pushed through legislation in the state calling for all voters to have government issued identification in order to cast ballots. “The fact is we have politicians trying to select the voters rather than voters selecting the politicians and the people most affected are often minorities, the elderly and students – people who don’t typically vote Republican.”
Ellison, who was among those who championed the defeat of a bill to restrict voting in Minnesota in 2012, said there needs to be uniform protections to preserve the right to vote in America.
“And the best remedy is a Constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote,” said Ellison, who said 83 restrictive voting bills in 29 states were introduced in 2014.
In addition to trying to protect the right to vote for those already on the rolls, there is a growing call to extend the right to vote to those with felony convictions. Most states deny felons the right to vote and only two states, Maine and Vermont, allow prisoners to vote. In Minnesota, felons are not allowed to vote if they are on probation, parole or incarcerated. It is estimated that between 45,000 to 60,000 Minnesotans are affected by this law.
“As an ex-offender, my voice has been silenced due to me having an ‘F’ on my report card,” said Nathanael Doching, of TakeAction Minnesota’s Justice 4 All project. Doching has a felony conviction on his record. “I’ve been labeled with a shunning mark that is only visible when you research my past instead of focusing on my future.
