Voting Rights

Everyone Counts – And Everyone Must Be Counted

Jun 14, 2018 | ,

Through our work on the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations, the California Complete Count Committee, the Illinois Complete Count Committee, and other entities, we’re pushing back on the Trump administration’s efforts to thwart a full and accurate 2020 Census count.

TESTIMONY OF THOMAS A. SAENZ, PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL, MALDEF BEFORE THE DEMOCRATIC POLICY AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

Sep 19, 2017 | , , ,

Good afternoon. My name is Thomas A. Saenz, and I am president and general counsel of MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund), which, next year, will celebrate 50 years promoting the civil rights of all Latinos living in the United States. MALDEF is headquartered in Los Angeles, with regional offices in Chicago; San Antonio, where we were founded; and Washington, D.C.

Equal Ballot Access for All

Aug 24, 2016 | ,

MALDEF was a driving force behind the 1975 federal Voting Rights Act renewal that extended protections to Latinos and the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 (CVRA), which made it easi-er for protected groups to prove that their votes are being diluted. We engage with community groups to keep them up to date on their voting rights.

MALDEF STATEMENT SUPPORTING NEW VOTING RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT BILL

Jun 26, 2015 | , ,

WASHINGTON, D.C. – MALDEF President and General Counsel, Thomas A. Saenz, released the following statement supporting the bicameral Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015, introduced today by several Members of the House and Senate. The legislation is the latest action by Congress to restore the federal review of voting changes in states with a history of discriminating against minority voters. MALDEF, and coalition partners, developed a critical new formula in the bill that requires federal preclearance of six suspicious voting change practices that have been historically linked to voter discrimination.

MALDEF AND PARTNERS RELEASE REPORT DETAILING RECENT VOTER DISCRIMINATION TARGETING LATINO COMMUNITY

Jun 13, 2014 | , ,

WASHINGTON, DC – Two weeks before the one-year anniversary of the infamous Shelby County v HolderSupreme Court decision, which dealt a severe blow to every American’s voting rights by incapacitating a key section of the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA), MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund), the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), and National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), today released a new policy report that details the far-reaching discrimination faced by Latino voters in recent election cycles. A copy of the report can be viewed here.

MALDEF WELCOMES INTRODUCTION OF BIPARTISAN VOTING RIGHTS BILL, SEEKS NECESSARY IMPROVEMENT

Jan 17, 2014 | , ,

LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, former Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), ranking Judiciary Committee member John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., and a bipartisan contingent of lawmakers introduced HR 3899, the Voting Rights Amendment Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives. Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, D-VT has filed identical legislation in the Senate.

MALDEF POSITION ON NEW JERSEY BALLOT QUESTION

Oct 31, 2013 | , ,

Last November, the Latino community and its allies exercised a substantial and oft-remarked impact on the presidential election, resulting in renewed federal interest in addressing the policy priorities of the Latino community. At the same time, the growth of the Latino voting community has caused some to introduce and implement practices to deter and even prevent voter participation. One of the most important responses to such efforts is to ensure that every eligible voter takes the time and makes the effort to participate in every election, so that we see the same high levels of participation in off-year elections as in presidential elections. Even in this odd-numbered year, there are critical decisions of leadership and policy on ballots in many states across the country. Today, MALDEF releases its position in support of an important measure on the ballot in New Jersey. Perhaps this endorsement will help to make a decision on the measure, but what is always most important is that every voter decide and VOTE.