Voting rights curtailed

House Bill 451, filed with the state legislature on March 27, will cut a full week of early voting and abolish voting on Sunday. While conservative politicians claim that this will save a large sum of tax dollars, little consideration has been given to the impact this bill would have on impoverished and working-class voters.

If this bill passes, workers who cannot obtain time off on Election Day will be far less likely to vote. If this bill becomes law, individuals who do not own a car and who rely on members of their church community to transport them to early voting after their Sunday service will be disenfranchised.

Voters would be forced to wait for hours in the lengthening lines at polling locations on Election Day. Why do these conservative politicians, who have been informed of the damage this bill would have, support its passage? House Bill 451 would most affect those who are least likely to vote for them: people of color, college students and the poor.

— Maurice William Murray III
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.