Goodmorning

Today,wecommemoratethe50thanniversaryoftheVotingRightsActof1965.

Tothoseheretoday,thankyouforjoiningusonthishistoricday.Iwouldliketothankourstaterepresentatives
andaldersforstandingwithusandcontinuingtheworkthatyoudo.

Votingisaboutmorethanpickingwinnersandlosers.Votingishowwedetermineoursharedvalues.

Fiftyyearsagotoday,ourcountryaffirmedthatpoliticalpowerwouldnotbedeterminedbyprejudiceor
oppression.Weprotectedandthenexpandedourvoicessothatwecouldcallforthechangesourcommunities
needed.Todaywecelebratethataccomplishmentandcelebrateallthatvotingmeansforus.

Butmodernvotingisinperil.Justtwoyearsago,theSupremeCourtstrippedtheVotingRightsActofitsmost
meaningfulreview.Stateswithahistoryofracialdiscriminationwould,onceagain,befreetoinstitute
regulationsadverselyimpactingvoters.Thesedays,literacytestsandpolltaxeshavebeenreplacedwith
excessivevoteridentificationrequirements,changestoregistrationandrestrictionstoearlyvoting.Withthis
singledecision,muchoftheworkdonetoensurevoterenfranchisementhasbeenreversed.

HereinConnecticut,wevetakenstepstoprotectunderrepresentedvoices.Withtheleadershipofourstate
delegation,wevemadeiteasiertoregistertovotewithsamedayregistrationandonlineregistration.Thankyou
toSenatorWinfieldforbeingheretodayandtheworkthatyouhavedoneinHartford.Ourstateisanational
leaderinrestoringvotingrightstopastoffenderswhohavepaidtheirdebttosocietybutthereisstillalong
waytogo.

WeareheretodayatLincolnBassettSchoolbecausethisisacommunitythathasusedvotingtoraisetheir
voicetogether.Communityorganizersandactivistshaveturnedthiswardintooneofthehighestvotingwardsin
ourcity.OnElectionDays,therearelinesoutthedoorsbehindme,withpeoplewillingtowaitoveranhourto
beapartofourcitysdecisions.Wemustapplaudthatcivicdedication,butwemustalsomakeitmucheasierto
participateinourpoliticallife.Weneedtomakeiteasiertovoteatthepolls,weneedtomakeiteasiertovote
absentee,weneedtomakeitpossibletovoteearly,andweneedtomakeiteasiertoregisterinthefirstplace.

Thiscampaign,asourvolunteerscombthecitytoaskpeopletheirprioritiesforourcity,wewillbetakingvoter
registrationcardswithustosignupasmanyaswecan.Particularlyinthoseneighborhoodsthatvoteless
frequently,wewanttobetheretomakeiteasier.

Asweprepareforthiselection,manypeoplehaveaskedmewhytheyshouldpayattention,whytheyshould
careaboutpolitics.Myansweristhatvotingisaboutmorethanjustanindividual.Itisaboutacommunity.A
communitythatvotesisacommunitythatisheard.Acommunitythatvotesisacommunitythatcanholdour
stateandfederalleaderstotask.Acommunitythatvotescanpickitspath.AndNewHavenisacitythatvotes.

ImproudthatinthelaststatewideelectionNewHavenvotedsomuchthatwemadethedifferenceinthe
Governorsrate.Asacity,wehaveshownthatwewillbeheard.Now,itisuptoustomakesurethatevery
neighborhood,everyward,hasashareinthatcollectivevoice,inourcollectivedecision.ThisSeptemberand
thisNovember,wehaveachancetoshowagainthatwearewillingtocastaballottoprotectthevoiceofour
communities.

Onthisday,50yearsago,historywasmade.Werememberthetirelesseffortsputforthbythosewhocame
beforeus,butwealsolookforwardtothetaskathand.Wemustkeepmovingforwardtomakesurethatvoting
rightsarerightsfor
all.
Together,wecanmoveNewHavenforward.


Thankyou.