The political leader of the pro-choice movement announces public opposition to tactics endangering voting rights
Washington, D.C. –(ENEWSPF)–November 2, 2012. Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, announced today that her organization has taken a public position in defense of voting rights.
“For nearly 40 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has worked first to win, and then to protect, reproductive freedom,” Keenan said. “Americans defend the right to choose by lobbying their elected officials, taking action in their communities, and participating in the public debate, but no single deed is as central to the civic process as the simple act of casting a vote. That is why recent efforts to restrict citizens’ access to the ballot box are so dangerous. These measures threaten to deny millions of Americans the right to vote, silencing their voices as the nation debates our most cherished freedoms, including the right of every woman to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices. It is for this reason that NARAL opposes measures that unnecessarily burden citizens’ voting rights.”
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee and voting-rights activist welcomed NARAL Pro-Choice America to this fight. “Since the 2010 elections, there has been a concerted effort at the state level to enact laws that would create barriers to participation by eligible voters, predominantly aimed at young, minority, and elderly voters. Every fair-minded citizen should take action to ensure that all voters have equal access to the ballot box,” said Conyers. “I welcome NARAL Pro-Choice America in joining the effort to oppose measures that would turn back the clock on hard-won voting rights.”
NARAL Pro-Choice America has stepped up its electoral efforts as a record number of proposed voting restrictions have been introduced and passed across the country. These measures include but are not limited to voter-I.D. laws, potential voter purges, and laws hindering early voting, absentee voting, and voter registration.
NARAL Pro-Choice America is proud to stand with organizations that work on this issue.
Source: http://www.prochoiceamerica.org
