Smith Doesn’t Support Voting Rights

As Republicans try to decrease voter turnout and lie about the security of vote by mail, Democrats have called for reinstating the Voting Rights Act in the name John Lewis.

Unfortunately, the bill will never pass a Republican Senate. After the Supreme Court gutted the VRA in 2013, Republicans have claimed it is no longer necessary. They do this while suppressing or diminishing the effectiveness of minority turnout with voter ID laws, closed polling places, reduced early voting, registration restrictions, felony disenfranchisement, voter roll purges, and gerrymandering. Courts have found that Republicans were deliberately targeting minorities, and leaked audio, computer files, and accidental public acknowledgements confirm this.

While Republicans nation-wide have participated in these efforts, it comes as no surprise that many occur in states originally designated for oversight by the VRA. What is surprising however, is that New Jersey Republican Chris Smith has joined the GOP’s suppression efforts.

In 2006, Smith and almost the entire House voted to renew the VRA. Since then, Republicans have made voting access a partisan issue, and supposedly “moderate” Smith has failed to wield his seniority, temper his party, and defend a core principle of our democracy. In 2019 Smith voted against the “For The People Act” to expand voting access and the latest VRA renewal.

NJ should elect former Foreign Service Officer Stephanie Schmid, who has worked to strengthen democratic institutions and electoral systems internationally. She has a career record of fighting for human rights, and will put country over party to fight for the rights of all Americans.