Opponents to South Carolina’s new photo-ID-to-vote law revved up their efforts Monday to have it declared illegal. The Rev. Jesse Jackson and several members of the Greenville Rainbow PUSH Coalition held a news conference to blast the law, which requires residents to bring a photo ID, such as a valid S.C. driver’s license, to the polls to cast a ballot.
Jackson called the measure an effort to suppress voter turnout, according to the Greenville News, adding he has sent a letter to the U.S. Justice Department and is meeting with members of Congress on the issue.
Also Monday, Senate Democratic Leader, state Sen. John Land, D-Clarendon, sent a letter to the Justice Department, requesting a meeting with federal officials so he can explain why the law is discriminatory.
“We worry about the individual voter’s ability to have free, fair and equal access to the right to vote, unencumbered by unnecessary and intimidating procedures,” Land wrote on behalf of the Senate Democratic Caucus. “For many in the Caucus, this legislation marks a return to the state’s past of disenfranchising voters.”
Because of the state’s history of discrimination, any changes to its voting laws must be approved by the Justice Department.
Full Article: Opponents ask feds to block voter ID law – S.C. Politics – TheState.com.