Testimony on "An Assessment of Minority Voting Rights Access in the United States"

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice – AAJC), along with Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (Advancing Justice – ALC), Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta (Advancing Justice – Atlanta), Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Chicago (Advancing Justice – Chicago) and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles (Advancing Justice – LA), submit this testimony for the record for the public briefing “An Assessment of Minority Voting Rights Access in the United States” held on February 2, 2018 by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in Raleigh, NC.

Enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) has been critical in preventing actual and threatened discrimination aimed at Asian Americans in national and local elections, and for increasing the community’s access to the ballot. This testimony will detail barriers Asian Americans face in accessing the ballot, the laws that help to overcome these barriers, the impact of Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. 2 (2013), on Asian Americans, the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) on behalf of Asian Americans, and finally, recommendations that can help ensure access to the ballot by Asian Americans. While Asian Americans are the nation’s fastest growing racial group and are quickly becoming a significant electoral force, the community will not be able to maximize its political power without the protection of their voting rights.