As the seminal political hip hop group Public Enemy chants “Bring the Noise,” that is exactly what the African American Democratic Club of Baltimore City, the Baltimore City Chapter of the NAACP, and other allies had to do in regards to ensuring ex-felons will not have their voting rights disenfranchised in Charm City.
They stood in solidarity last Friday in front of the Baltimore City Board of Elections headquarters on Fayette Street and issued their concerns and demands over a letter telling 423 persons that had to respond to their own records indicating they were ineligible to vote because of their felony convictions.
What’s the problem? The problem is that the letter sent to the ex-felons included no contact phone number, no name, and no signature, which meant that individuals did not know who to contact in order to rectify the situation.
It was brought to the attention of NAACP President Marvin “Doc” Cheatham last month, who, along with a representative from the League of Women Voters Baltimore City, called and secured an emergency meeting with the Attorney General’s office to address this critical issue.
The Attorney General’s office, which represents both the State and City Boards of Elections, told Cheatham that they could not force the City to correct the letter so that the individuals could receive their voter registration card. They could only “advise”.
In fact, they said it was the state’s job to direct the City. Yet the state in turn said that they could only make suggestions to the City. And what did the City say? They did not have to do anything because the state did not tell them to do so.
Talk about a bureaucratic shuffle. The notice was indeed a form letter originating from the state that the City used. However, someone did not include all the pertinent information, and yet it was allowed to pass through the City Board’s office and into the hands of 423 ex-felons who are busy trying to re-integrate themselves into society.
Passing the buck should only be a water cooler joke, not a standard practice that disenfranchises our citizens, especially those who have been through the system and are trying to re-establish themselves as members of our communities.
It is not only insensitive, but repugnant that Armstead B. Crawley Jones Sr., Elections Director of the City Board, would not do his due diligence and ensure that the letter was corrected and sent out in a timely fashion, especially so that these individuals could make the October 14th voter registration deadline.
Perhaps if he were one of the several African Americans in Florida who were disenfranchised in the 2000 Presidential election, he would have a completely different perspective. But it is obvious that his seat is too warm and comfortable.
This is a historic presidential election, something that this country has never seen before. This is something that Fannie Lou Hamer fought for when she formed the Mississippi Democratic Freedom Party in 1964 so blacks can gain equal participation in the electoral process.
Yet in 2008, we still have some of the same shenanigans as we did in 1964 when blacks were threatened, intimidated, harassed, and simply lied to by the majority-controlled voting process.
It is happening to voters of color all over the country right now. The thought of Sen. Barack Obama as president is sending many into a tailspin. That is why everyone, from citizens to elected officials, must stay on task so that this election will be as fair and equitable as possible.
Shame on you, Armstead B. Crawley Jones, Sr. You appear to follow in the footsteps of those who would rather sit in their seats and allow an unnecessary struggle to occur rather than stand up and make sure that all of our citizens, no matter from whence they came, can exercise their constitutional right and make this city, this state, and this country what it is supposed to be – a true democracy.
For Ron's initial coverage of this issue see http://indyreader.org/content/aadcbc-naacp-speaks-out-against-ex-felon-v...
