[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 572 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 572

      Designating September 2012 as the ``National Month of Voter 
                            Registration''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 20, 2012

Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Sanders, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. 
 Tester) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
      Designating September 2012 as the ``National Month of Voter 
                            Registration''.

Whereas the United States has overcome the stains of historic State-sponsored 
        voting discrimination, including State laws that imposed voting 
        qualifications such as property ownership, religious qualifications, 
        grandfather clauses, poll taxes, and literacy tests and were designed to 
        exclude racial minorities, poorer voters, and certain religious groups 
        from voting;
Whereas courts have struck down these State laws because the laws conflict with 
        the Constitution of the United States;
Whereas Congress has continuously moved to expand the franchise of voting;
Whereas the 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, and 26th amendments to the 
        Constitution of the United States are intended to protect minorities, 
        poorer voters, women, the elderly, and youth from voting discrimination;
Whereas, in 1965, Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 
        et seq.) to remedy past discrimination in voting and protect vulnerable 
        citizens from practices that infringe on the right to vote or elect a 
        candidate of their choice;
Whereas, in 1993, Congress enacted the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 
        (42 U.S.C. 1973gg et seq.) to establish protections around the voting 
        process, increase the number of citizens who register to vote, and 
        encourage governments to protect the integrity of the electoral process;
Whereas, in 2002, in response to the controversy surrounding the 2000 
        presidential election, Congress enacted the Help America Vote Act of 
        2002 (42 U.S.C. 15301 et seq.), which provided new standards for voting 
        systems, created the independent Election Assistance Commission to 
        assist with the administration of Federal elections, and established 
        minimum standards for States and local governments that administer 
        Federal elections;
Whereas Congress has reauthorized the Voting Rights Act of 1965 5 times, most 
        recently in 2006, recognizing the need for continued enforcement against 
        State practices in voting that discriminate against or disenfranchise 
        vulnerable citizens;
Whereas, since 2010, some States have enacted voting laws that are reminiscent 
        of historic State-sponsored voting discrimination;
Whereas some States have already disenfranchised some young people, elderly 
        people, and former Members of Congress through strict new voting laws;
Whereas some States continue to disenfranchise United States citizens with past 
        criminal convictions who live and work in our communities;
Whereas Members of Congress and notable civil rights organizations have studied 
        recently-enacted State voting laws and calculated that the laws will 
        have a grave impact on millions of minority, elderly, young, and poor 
        individuals who are eligible to vote and will seek to register to vote 
        and vote on election day;
Whereas, since March 12, 2012, 2 State courts in Wisconsin have held that the 
        Wisconsin voter identification law enacted in 2011 violates the 
        Wisconsin constitution, with one court writing that ``a government that 
        undermines the very foundation of its existence--the people's inherent, 
        pre-constitutional right to vote--imperils its legitimacy as a 
        government by the people, for the people, and especially of the 
        people'';
Whereas Federal courts in both Florida and Washington, DC, recently struck down 
        new Florida state laws that restrict new voter registration and early 
        voting hours, with one court writing that the new restrictions on voter 
        registration drives ``impose burdensome record-keeping and reporting 
        requirements that serve little if any purpose, thus rendering them 
        unconstitutional even to the extent they do not violate the [National 
        Voter Registration Act of 1993]'', and another court holding, ``[W]e 
        conclude that we cannot . . . preclear Florida's early voting changes 
        because the State has failed to satisfy its burden of proving that those 
        changes will not have a retrogressive effect on minority voters. 
        Specifically, the State has not proven that the changes will be 
        nonretrogressive if the covered counties offer only the minimum number 
        of early voting hours that they are required to offer under the new 
        statute, which would constitute only half the hours required under the 
        prior law.'';
Whereas a Federal court in Washington, DC, recently struck down a Texas voter 
        identification law, writing that the law ``imposes strict, unforgiving 
        burdens on the poor'' and that ``a disproportionately high percentage of 
        African Americans and Hispanics in Texas live in poverty'';
Whereas a Federal court in Ohio recently struck down a State law that mandated 
        that even in cases where poll workers steer voters to the wrong polling 
        place, provisional votes cast in the wrong precinct must be discarded;
Whereas State representatives and political leaders in States such as New 
        Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Florida have made public admissions about 
        how certain laws in their States were designed to put a dent in the 
        democratic process;
Whereas, without a response from Congress, millions of voters in the United 
        States may be subjected to State actions that will harm the franchise;
Whereas the month of September 2012 would be an appropriate month to commemorate 
        a national focus on the importance of every citizen being registered and 
        empowered to vote;
Whereas, during September 2012, each voting-eligible citizen should register to 
        vote, verify that the name, address, and other personal information on 
        record for the citizen at the State or local board of elections is 
        correct, confirm that the citizen has everything in hand that will be 
        required to vote on election day, and confirm the correct polling place 
        for election day; and
Whereas States should abolish all restrictive voter identification laws that 
        disenfranchise vulnerable voting-eligible citizens, comply with the 
        National Voter Registration Act of 1993, protect the voting rights of 
        public assistance and disability clients during an economic downturn, 
        and stop misguided, discriminatory, and inaccurate purging programs that 
        have the risk of purging eligible voters: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates September 2012 as the ``National Month of 
        Voter Registration'' to encourage each voting-eligible citizen 
        to register to vote, verify that the name, address, and other 
        personal information on record for the citizen at the State or 
        local board of elections is correct, confirm that the citizen 
        has everything in hand that will be required to vote on 
        election day, and confirm the correct polling place for 
        election day;
            (2) calls on State and local election officials to conduct 
        public outreach and take affirmative steps to encourage voter 
        registration;
            (3) encourages States to be fully compliant with the 
        National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and other Federal 
        voting rights laws as election day approaches; and
            (4) requests that the President issue a proclamation for 
        the National Month of Voter Registration calling upon the 
        people of the United States to observe the month with 
        appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
                                 <all>