With the presidential election approaching, Merrick Garland took aim at voter IDs. Joe Biden's attorney general participated in an event at the Tabernacle Baptist Church and assured that the policy of implementing identification requirements for voters is "discriminatory, burdensome and unnecessary."
The official was present on the 59th anniversary of the attack on protesters of the civil rights movement at the hands of Alabama police forces.
During his speech, he assured that "there are many things that are open to debate in America," although "one thing that must not be open for debate is the right of all eligible citizens to vote and to have their vote counted."
Biden AG Merrick Garland, speaking at an Alabama church, says election integrity efforts — such as voter ID requirements and restrictions on ballot "drop boxes" — are "discriminatory, burdensome, and unnecessary." pic.twitter.com/UExpO3nGbD
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 3, 2024
Garland continued to talk about the history of the African-American community and its difficulties when it came to voting. However, he stated that these problems remain to this day, thanks to policies such as voter identification.
"The right to vote is still under attack. And that is why the Justice Department is fighting back. That is why, one of the first things I did as Attorney General was to double the number of lawyers in the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division," he continued.
In turn, he took aim at voter identification policies, mostly adopted in Republican states to prevent non-citizens from voting. For example, Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Arkansas, among many others, have some requirements such as photo ID.
"That is why we are challenging efforts by states and jurisdictions to implement discriminatory, burdensome, and unnecessary restrictions on access to the ballot, including those related to mail-in voting, the use of drop boxes, and voter ID requirements," added the attorney general.
On the other side of the aisle, currently 14 states and Washington, D.C., do not require any documentation to vote.
