Full Program
The fundamental individual “right to vote” is not in the United States Constitution. The United States has a “states’ rights and local control” voting system that operates in 13,000 “separate and unequal” election jurisdictions. The panel will discuss the need and the effort to add a Voting Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution in order to provide every American with the fundamental individual right to vote. The Supreme Court in Heller said the Constitution guarantees every American the fundamental individual right to a gun. In our democracy, surely the “right to vote” ought to be at least as important as the “right to a gun.”
MODERATOR
Donna Brazile, Vice Chair, Voter Registration and Participation – the DNC’s Advo- cate for Voting Rights
PANELISTS
Dr. Alexander Keyssar, Harvard Professor, will discuss the history of the right to vote in the United States
U.S. Representative Mark Pocan will discuss the status of H.J. Res. 44, a bill to add a Voting Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, along with the arguments or concerns he is running into in trying to gain co-sponsors.
Rob Richie, Executive Director of FairVote, will discuss the need to add a Vot-ing Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – as well as certain other changes to improve our democracy.
Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin will discuss the implications of adding a Voting Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Ohio State Representative Alicia Reece will discuss her grassroots effort to gain support for adding a Voting Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
WHEN
Friday, November 15, 2013
TIME
2-3:30pm
WHERE
Capitol Hilton Hotel 1001 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 202.393.1000