Katrina and Rita displaced, either permanently or temporarily, tens of thousands from their homes of record. I’m curious — what’s their status in life as voters?
Really want to make a difference in the ’06 elections? Sure, 2005’s an “off” year, but someone, or some agency, or some organization needs to capture these potential voters for ’06. Why not grassroots Democratic organizers? Goodness knows they’re being ignored, if not purposely disenfanchised, through scofflaw inaction.
Here’s what I mean. . .
Last week, according to a story found on the Project Vote web site, Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and John Lewis (D-GA), and 28 other members of Congress sent a letter calling on the Department of Justice and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to take immediate action to enforce Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).
Now why should Congress have to remind the DOJ to enforce a law that’s been on the books for 10 years? Because most states have failed to adequately implement Section 7’s agency-based voter registration requirements.
What’s the impact of these scofflaws’ inaction?
* Since 1995, voter registration applications from public assistance agencies nationwide have declined by 59.6%, while applications from all other sources have increased by 22%.
* 36 of 41 states reporting show a decline in registration applications from public assistance agencies since 1995.
* Voter registration and turnout numbers among lower income Americans have remained stagnant from the 1996 to 2004 election cycles.
While approximately 85 percent of people in households with incomes of over $75,000 are registered to vote, that figure drops to 59 percent for those in the lowest income brackets. And “those in the lowest income brackets” are Hurricane Katrina’s and Rita’s major victims.
Further, Maude Hurd, ACORN President, said in response to these disturbing findings:
“We should strengthen our democracy by registering to vote the tens of millions of people who visit agencies each month. It’s time the Justice Department and states stopped ignoring low-income people and started doing their jobs.” ACORN members in several states are planning actions to pressure state officials to improve voter registration in local social services offices.
It seems to me that the Democratic Party would want these folks registered. Of course, preferably as Democrats. Why wait for the various states to act?
Shouldn’t Dem Party organizers go out and register them, since the states are doing their best to ignore them, or in the case of Louisiana and Mississippi, probably have other priorities that have pushed voter registration to the back burner?
Seems to me voter registration drives sited at or near the various state agencies that should be doing this job would be a good strategy. And at “refugee” centers, and at faith-based shelters, and at the dozens of hotels and motels and floating cruise ships that are now semi-permanent housing units, and anywhere else the Gulf Cast hurricane-homeless are residing. Every one of those places is fertile ground for finding future Democratic voters.
More than just Katrina survivors would show up to become first-time registrants. Remember, millions are eligible and haven’t been reached. Besides, I’d bet thousands more would like to change their affiliation after the way they’ve been treated by this Republican national government.
Where states have failed to do their jobs, let the Democratic Party step in and fulfill the promise of one person one vote. It’s guaranteed to pay off!
