Celebrate 50th Anniversary Of Voting Rights Act In Santa Cruz County

By GAIL PELLERIN (Star Patcher)

On August 6, 2015 we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The Act, which was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, makes it illegal to require eligible voters to pass literacy tests in order to register to vote.

Although the 15th Amendment, passed in 1870, granted African Americans the right to vote, there were literacy tests, poll taxes and other discriminatory requirements that made it difficult for eligible citizens to register to vote. It wasn’t until 1965 when the Civil Rights Movement, the Selma to Montgomery marches and Dr. Martin Luther King’s leadership demanded the enactment of the VRA, and African Americans living in the South were able to register to vote and participate in the democratic process without facing disenfranchisement.

In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the VRA, the Chair of the Board of Supervisors has prepared a proclamation that recognizes the importance of this milestone national legislation that protects the right to vote.

The proclamation also recognizes several Santa Cruz County residents who risked their lives during the southern Civil Rights Movement to ensure the voting rights of African Americans and all citizens. These residents include: Bob Fitch, Maria Gitin, Paul and Pat Bokulich, Darrell and Karen Darling, Patricia Ann Phillips Archdeacon, and Richard Aryeh Nanas. In addition, the proclamation recognizes Daniel Dodge Sr. for his contributions toward ensuring that provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act were applied to the City of Watsonville.

Since its initial passage, the VRA has expanded its reach with amendments that assist language minorities in the voting process by providing language-specific election materials to jurisdictions with large numbers of minorities.

In Santa Cruz County, Spanish-language materials are provided at all county polling places, according to County Clerk Gail Pellerin. In addition, Tagalog materials are provided at a few precincts in south county and Chinese to a few precincts up at UCSC.

President George W. Bush signed a reauthorization in 2006 renewing the Voting Rights Act in 2006 for another 25 years. However, the US Supreme Court in 2013 crippled one of the most effective protections for the right to vote by rendering ineffective the requirement that certain jurisdictions with a history of voting discrimination get pre-approval for voting changes.

“Fifty years later, and following a year with the lowest voter turnout in our nation’s history, I think it is vital for everyone to understand that people risked their lives and many died for the right to vote,” Pellerin said. “It is my hope that as we move forward, citizens commit to being active participants in our democratic process.”

The County Clerk’s Office will launch a Celebrate the Vote display following the Board meeting tomorrow that along with the 50th Anniversary of the VRA, it will also recognize the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 95th Anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote.

For more information, please call 831-454-2060, or visit us online at www.votescount.com