In a democracy, the right to vote is sacred. If you meet the constitutional requirements to vote, neither the government nor any person can prevent you from exercising this essential civil right. Unfortunately, too many citizens do encounter opposition when they attempt to register or go to the polls. At McGuire & Associates we want your voice to be heard. We fight efforts to suppress voting directed toward groups and individuals in Montgomery. If your right to vote has been infringed, we are prepared to give voice to your complaint and to correct this injustice.
When the United States came into existence, individual states set the rules for voting, but generally, only free, male property-owners could vote. As time progressed and society evolved, certain states opened the franchise to other groups, while other states resisted change. At notable times in our history, the U.S. Constitution was amended to extend voting rights uniformly for every state:
The trend in the country has always been toward expanding voting rights. However, many would argue the expansion of rights has been too slow, and there is no denying that certain groups met resistance, which was often violent, when they tried to exercise their rights. African Americans in the South faced terror instigated by the Ku Klux Klan, other white supremacist groups, and Jim Crow laws that made their lawful rights practically impossible to exercise.
After decades of struggle, brought to a head in the 1965 March for Voting Rights from Selma to Montgomery, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which made voter intimidation, poll taxes and other methods of voter suppression illegal. Unfortunately, voter suppression did not completely disappear. Those who practice voter suppression simply became more clever about it.
The days when jurisdictions tolerated blatant voter suppression may have passed, but tolerance for subtle and contrived methods of voter disenfranchisement still exists. Today’s political campaigns are armed with microdata that allows them to pinpoint neighborhoods where suppression of the vote could swing a district. Cut-throat campaigns are often willing to engage in unlawful tactics, which include:
If you have encountered any difficulty registering to vote or voting, you can trust McGuire & Associates to respond aggressively to your complaint and vigorously pursue a remedy.
McGuire & Associates is committed to upholding the voting rights of all eligible U.S. citizens. To schedule a free consultation, call us at 334-651-8891 or contact our Montgomery office online. Our office is located at 31 Clayton Street, convenient to I-85 and I-65.