House Bill 932 will require registrars to mail a voter registration card to the mailing address provided on an applicant’s voter registration form. This law places another unnecessary obstacle between citizens and their right to vote. This legislation passed the House and has been referred to the County Affairs and Elections Committees.

We believe HB932 is nothing more than a backwards attempt to discourage voter registration and turn out. States across the country are passing measures that make it harder and harder for Americans – particularly African-Americans, low-income families, the elderly, students and people with disabilities – to exercise their fundamental right to cast a ballot.

If this law passes, it could be one such measure. Because, as written, even though individuals would be allowed to change their address over the phone, their voter registration cards could be mailed to the address on their original application. As a result, countless voters may never receive their voter registration cards, even though they have taken measures to ensure that they will not be denied the right to vote come Election Day. Voting is a right that is not to be unduly burdened, this bill might accomplish just that.

Impeding access to the polls reduces the number of Americans who can vote and weakens our democracy. Voter Suppression laws are anti-democratic and we should encourage more people to vote, not fewer. Elected officials should be seeking ways to encourage more Americans to vote, not inventing baseless reasons to deny voters the ability to cast their ballots. Even though people believe that virtually everyone owns a photo ID, the reality is that millions of Americans—through no fault of their own—lack the narrow category of permissible IDs under these laws. These disenfranchised voters include people who happened to move at the wrong time, or were born at home, or even veterans who served this country.

Any voter suppression law is a threat to our democracy.HB 932 will have a disproportionate and unfair impact on low-income individuals, racial and ethnic minority voters, senior citizens and voters with disabilities.

TAKE ACTION and tell your lawmaker to oppose HB 932