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.
Peduto noted that only 11 nations of the world’s 119 do not specifically proscribe a right to vote in their constitutions. They are: The US, Great Britain, Azerbaijan, Chechnya, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Pakistan and Singapore.
“It’s time for the US to join the rest of the world,” he said. “I am pleased to be the second city to be chosen, but the first to be joined by a county executive, Rich Fitzgerald. Since elections are a county function, this is highly significant.”
Fitzgerald, who was joined by county Councilman John Defazio, said he asked county council to introduce a similar support resolution to that going before Pittsburgh council the following day.
Jackson said he went to Cincinnati because it was a depot for the Underground Railroad. Pittsburgh, he said, is a key city in a bellwether state.
“Next we have to get congress to stand on House Bill 44 because people don’t realize they don’t have a federally protected right to vote,” he said. “And if it can be eliminated by county schemes, then the right to vote is a sham.”
Jackson told the Courier he expects this battle to be longer, harder and more expensive than the fight against Voter ID, but it has to be fought.
“Mayors and city council people are so critical to this because they are closer to those they represent,” he said. “I expect the battle to now move to the radio airwaves, the Internet and the pulpits of the country.”
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