Voting Rights Act

I believe the chair of the 5th District Democrats is a co-worker of my cousin Robert's at West Stokes High School.

Voting Rights Act

The letter from the chairman of the 5th District Democrats ("Voting Rights," July 22) criticized Rep. Virginia Foxx for voting against renewing the Voting Rights Act, which was enacted in 1965 and amended later to mandate multi-language ballots.

Rep. Foxx and many other representatives voted against the current Voting Rights Act because they believed the penalties that had been imposed against the South in the original Voting Rights Act needed to be removed, creating one set of voting regulations for all states. They believed that multi-language ballots were unnecessary because all immigrants must be able to read and write in English to become citizens.

Rep. Foxx and other representatives who voted against renewing the Voting Rights Act also believed that for people to vote, they must prove that they are registered voters.

The changes Rep. Foxx and other representatives supported would have simplified voting regulations, eliminated needless multi-language ballots and reduced the possibility of voter fraud. Judging by the final vote on the Voting Rights Act bill, it appears the majority of Congress prefers a bill that is more conducive to voter fraud, or they were afraid to change the Voting Rights Act in an election year.

B. FRANK EVERHART

Lexington