NCJW Urges Passage of Voting Rights Reauthorization

May 4, 2006, Washington, DC -- The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) has announced its support for reauthorization of portions of the Voting Rights Act due to expire in 2007. NCJW President Phyllis Snyder released the following statement:

"NCJW strongly supports reauthorization of those portions of the Voting Rights Act due to expire in 2007. We applaud the bipartisan sponsorship and endorsements the act has received in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and call on Congress to carry on that good work. For while enormous progress has been made in this country since the act first passed in 1965, the legislation continues to provide critical protections -- particularly for minority populations -- that must be preserved. We urge swift reauthorization providing federal review of changes in state and local voting laws to protect minority voting rights as well as requirements that voting materials be printed in languages other than English where circumstances indicate they are needed.

"Voting is the foundation of any democracy. NCJW is proud to be part of the effort to protect that foundation and continue to build a stronger nation upon it. Passage of the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 will honor all those who fought to obtain the vote for every American, and it will ensure that the next generation will be able to participate fully in the political process."

NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms for all through its network of 90,000 members, supporters, and volunteers nationwide.

Contact:
Vanessa Schnaidt
212 645 4048 x179; vschnaidt@ncjw.org