Criminal justice leaders condemn voting limits places by state legislators

NEWS RELEASE
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
*******************************
Today, 95 elected prosecutors and law enforcement leaders – including Attorneys General, District Attorneys, Police Chiefs and Sheriffs – issued a joint statement that condemns efforts by state legislatures across the country to limit and criminalize voting and calls on local and federal policymakers to protect and expand voting rights, including by passing the For the People Act and the John Lewis Act.

The joint statement notes that despite the lack of any evidence of widespread voter fraud, these voter suppression laws are being introduced and passed on a scale
unseen since the Jim Crow era. Nearly every state legislature has seen voting restrictions introduced in 2021 and at least 14 states have passed laws making voting more difficult.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty joined in this effort and stated, “To serve their own interests, there are individuals who seek to undermine confidence in the system and reduce voter turnout. Efforts to undermine the right to vote are targeted at communities of color. Colorado is a leader in conducting safe, secure elections with a high turnout. We must continue to stand against voter suppression and inspire others to embrace the success and integrity of Colorado’s
model.”

The signatories highlight the disproportionate impact these voter suppression laws have on communities of color and people in poverty. They note that these restrictions “evoke one of the darkest chapters in American history, when law enforcement officials in the Jim Crow era blocked Black citizens from accessing the polls.”

“At a time when our country faces so many challenges, including the ongoing recovery from a global pandemic, it is unconscionable that legislators would waste time and resources making it harder for Americans – and particularly people of color – to exercise their right to vote,” said Miriam Krinsky, Executive Director of Fair and Just Prosecution, the organizer of the statement. “Creating even more unnecessary barriers to voting undermines faith in our government and criminal legal system, thereby jeopardizing public safety.”

Read the joint statement and see the full list of signatories here.

*********************************