A group of Black attorneys is mounting a nationwide effort to ensure voting rights in African American communities during the midterm elections, in response to a raft of restrictive state laws passed by conservative lawmakers.
The effort, known as the Young Black Lawyers’ Organizing Coalition, bills itself as “among the largest Black-led voter education efforts to identify and resist voter suppression tactics to ensure that their ballots are counted,” and will target voters in seven states: Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
“Our goal is to make sure that those Black voters are not only able to freely and fully vote themselves,” said Dosunmu, “but that they are also empowered to be ambassadors for voter protection information.”
Attacks on voting
A December 2021 analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice found that at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting. Additionally, more than 440 bills with provisions that restrict voting access were introduced in 49 states. According to the Brennan Center, these measures, which include strict voter ID requirements, “disproportionately impact voters of color.”
“New citizens and new voters — who are disproportionately Latino — face special risks in encountering misinformation stemming from information gaps,” according to an Aug. 2 report by the Brennan Center.
https://gothamist.com/news/black-lawyers-in-new-york-aid-broad-effort-to-counter-voter-suppression