Attorney General Merrick Garland, speaking at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma, Alabama, commemorating ‘Bloody Sunday,’ criticized efforts to enhance election security as “burdensome and unnecessary,” portraying them as threats to democratic principles.
Garland accused federal courts of weakening the 1965 Voting Rights Act by permitting various voting restrictions, such as presenting identification upon arrival. He stated, “Since those decisions, there has been a dramatic increase in legislative measures that make it harder for millions of eligible voters to vote and to elect the representatives of their choice … such measures threaten the foundation of our system of government.”
Highlighting concerns about state legislatures potentially overriding voter choices, Garland emphasized the ongoing assault on the right to vote. He pledged that the Department of Justice, under his leadership, would challenge discriminatory voting restrictions, including those related to mail-in voting, drop boxes, and voter ID requirements.
In response to disputes over the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, many Republican-led states have sought to enhance voting laws to prevent fraud. The Biden administration has characterized these efforts as attacks on civil rights.
President Biden previously likened the situation to the most significant test of democracy since the Civil War, emphasizing the importance of protecting voting rights. However, a Rasmussen Reports survey in 2021 found that a majority of black voters supported voter ID requirements, along with substantial support from other racial groups.
