HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08182015 - C.23RECOMMENDATION(S):
ADOPT Resolution No. 2015/298 celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of August, 1965.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
BACKGROUND:
The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted African Americans the right to vote in 1870, but there were
many hurdles in place to restrict them from registering. Literacy tests and poll taxes were among the discriminatory
tactics still used to suppress voting.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, signed on August 6 by President Lyndon Johnson, is a milestone in national
legislation that prohibits discriminatory practices for disenfranchising “any citizen on account of race or color.”
The act was passed as the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing throughout the country. Although Contra Costa
County was far removed from some of key events of the movement, discrimination remained a problem.
The Supreme Court upheld that poll taxes were illegal a year after the Voting Rights Act was passed,
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY
ADMINISTRATOR
RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD
COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 08/18/2015 APPROVED AS
RECOMMENDED
OTHER
Clerks Notes:
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II
Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III
Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV
Supervisor
ABSENT:Federal D. Glover, District V
Supervisor
Contact: Robert Rogers
510-231-8688
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors
on the date shown.
ATTESTED: August 18, 2015
David J. Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: Stephanie L. Mello, Deputy
cc:
C. 23
To:Board of Supervisors
From:John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Date:August 18, 2015
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:A Resolution celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of August, 1965.
BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)
and the Act was extended in 1970, 1982 and 2006. When signing the extension, President Ronald Reagan said the
right to vote “is the crown jewel of American liberties and we will not see its luster diminished.”
Since its initial passage, the act has expanded in scope to protect non-English speakers by requiring
language-specific election materials to jurisdictions with large numbers of those groups. Contra Costa County
provides voter materials like registration forms, ballots, voting instructions, in English and Spanish. Chinese and
Tagalog versions are also available at some precincts. Elections staff at the office and at polls also speak several
languages.
The recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act comes at a time when the percentage of
California voters who turnout continues to decease. In Contra Costa County, 49.2 percent of registered voters cast
a ballot in the November 2014 Gubernatorial General Election, down from 66 percent in 2010.
Despite those figures, the Contra Costa Elections Office, League of Women Voters, Civil Rights groups and
community advocates remain steadfast in continuing to educate residents about the democratic process and
protecting voter rights.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution No. 2015/298
Voting Rights Proclamation
PR.2, C.23
Contra Costa County
Clerk-Recorder-Elections
Department
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of
1965 on August 6, 2015.
WHEREAS, On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting
Rights Act into law; this landmark piece of federal legislation prohibits racial
discrimination in voting; Congress later amended the Act five times to expand its
protections; and
WHEREAS, the Act was designed to enforce the voting rights guaranteed by the
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, the Act
allowed for a mass enfranchisement of racial minorities throughout the country;
and
WHEREAS, the Act contains numerous provisions that regulate the
administration of elections and provide nationwide protections for voting rights;
and
WHEREAS, the Act requires jurisdictions containing significant language-
minority populations to provide bilingual ballots and other election materials; and
WHEREAS, the Act has been the single most effective tool in protecting the
right to vote and assuring the integrity of the voting process in this century; and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the members of the Contra
Costa County Board of Supervisors commemorate the 50th anniversary of the
Voting Rights Act of 1965 on August 6, 2015. We honor its significance; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Supervisors will continue to
protect the rights of voters in Contra Costa County; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we recognize the great contributions and
achievements of our government leaders and civil rights activists for encouraging
participation in the democratic process and protecting voter rights.