Saying it is long past time to “democratize democracy,” Rev. Jesse Jackson met with Pittsburgh city council, Mayor Bill Peduto and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald seeking their support in his call for a Voting Rights Amendment to the US Constitution.
He noted during a Sept. 8 press conference following the council meeting that many people are surprised to learn that there is no explicit right to vote in the Constitution. In the wake of the Supreme Court Shelby decision, which removed the ‘pre-clearance” requirement for some states to change their voting laws, and the recent Voter ID push, Jackson said that must change.
“When the Steelers play Seattle or New York plays Chicago, we can accept the outcome because it’s a level playing field—the rules are clear,” he said. “If you have different rules in different cities, you have chaos. With elections, we have 50 different state rules. We want integrity—open, free and fair. The appeal we make today is that all Americans have the right to vote.”
Peduto said he is pleased Jackson chose Pittsburgh as the second city in which to push his agenda, adding he hoped council would vote its support—Jackson gained the support of Cincinnati council and Mayor John Cranley last month.
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