{"id":2833,"date":"2024-11-20T16:01:02","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T21:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/?p=2833"},"modified":"2024-11-20T16:01:04","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T21:01:04","slug":"voter-rights-violations-in-the-bronx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/voter-rights-violations-in-the-bronx","title":{"rendered":"Voter Rights Violations in the Bronx"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>We live in extraordinary times. Consider the turn of a millennium, the end of the Cold War, the rise and fall of Donald Trump, and the beginning of a devastating war in Ukraine. These events test the global primacy of the American state and its people, primarily through external challenges. Domestically, however, the U.S. faces another pressing issue: the crisis in its voting system. Former President Donald Trump alleged voter fraud in both 2017 and following his 2020 election loss. Investigations refuted these claims, yet significant election reforms remain absent. In New York, voter turnout is low, voting systems are outdated, and Republican-led state legislatures are redrawing district lines and restricting voter access. These challenges form only part of the broader history of voting in Northern states, including New York City and its boroughs like the Bronx. This article from <a href=\"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/uk\/\">bronx-yes<\/a> delves into voter rights violations in this vibrant borough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bronx-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/11\/u0hesdzg7cs7r6wjuiuowf1tvybkoyq4zvxww-cxioasyfswbnmugmnfezcjmtvjywoynukblc5hcmylhhublu-slqx4-ewpjamqwsocfkiwwrbgnr1bh3g2g7jtlswah4zj6d1ed967wljhl1mtve0.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0c2612e2757\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0c2612e2757\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/voter-rights-violations-in-the-bronx\/#The_History_of_Elections_in_New_York_City_and_the_Bronx_17th%E2%80%9319th_Century\" >The History of Elections in New York City and the Bronx (17th\u201319th Century)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/voter-rights-violations-in-the-bronx\/#Voter_Suppression_in_the_Bronx_in_the_Early_20th_Century\" >Voter Suppression in the Bronx in the Early 20th Century<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/voter-rights-violations-in-the-bronx\/#Voting_in_the_Bronx_in_the_Mid-20th_Century\" >Voting in the Bronx in the Mid-20th Century<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/voter-rights-violations-in-the-bronx\/#Elections_in_New_York_City_in_the_21st_Century\" >Elections in New York City in the 21st Century<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/voter-rights-violations-in-the-bronx\/#Fighting_for_Voter_Rights_in_the_21st_Century\" >Fighting for Voter Rights in the 21st Century<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_History_of_Elections_in_New_York_City_and_the_Bronx_17th%E2%80%9319th_Century\"><\/span>The History of Elections in New York City and the Bronx (17th\u201319th Century)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to <em>gothamgazette<\/em>, while elections in New York seem timeless, they are a relatively recent development. From 1665, mayors were appointed solely by the governor, a practice that continued for 156 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1820, property qualifications were abolished, granting white men the right to vote. The first mayoral election occurred in 1821.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1846, a proposed amendment to the state constitution sought to allow Black men to vote, but it failed. The Civil War and the 15th Amendment in 1870 eventually enfranchised Black men nationwide, affirming that voting rights could not be denied based on \u201crace, color, or previous condition of servitude.\u201d However, in New York, the amendment\u2019s implementation was inconsistent. Initially ratified, it was repealed a year later, forcing Black residents to wait another century for meaningful voting rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1898, the consolidation of Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island formed modern New York City. This also meant all five boroughs would elect one mayor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bronx-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/11\/wu_q4halr9me7r5o8nayxsa3vbm4gduchlzb7fjywsjrwg2ayolyqxb40f3rjuv1cyglmtxqw_jlx0n6tr17efhqiq2_k4v3uefngdj2dbbnaxwtgjthcpaocxz5q4wd2k-fessmmjfaurrwhnficc0.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Voter_Suppression_in_the_Bronx_in_the_Early_20th_Century\"><\/span>Voter Suppression in the Bronx in the Early 20th Century<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While the electoral system in the Bronx seemed functional before World War I, immigrant waves challenged its implementation. Laws required Bronx residents to re-register annually, ostensibly to prevent voter fraud from frequent address changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1908, the city deliberately scheduled voter registration for Jewish immigrants on Saturdays or holidays like Yom Kippur, effectively disenfranchising them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1921, New York state passed a law allowing new U.S. citizens to vote, provided they passed an English language exam. Puerto Ricans, who were U.S. citizens by birth but often lacked English proficiency, were disproportionately affected. Puerto Rico, occupied by the U.S. in 1898, only gained \u201cfreely associated\u201d status in 1952. In 2012, Puerto Ricans voted in favor of becoming the 51st state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bronx-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/11\/fg-tbr-qvf66oiz2ds614arzye3mxo29qr7qcxrhw4e1yaji3wxbj1czrziiqvub_r-uizj1qrd6ndffd3ezdaa8cspvsby5ltcczd2r0lfeh4djptg9j6yuysvn9b6d1zfxjwtixrt2knjm-eqy-ds.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Voting_in_the_Bronx_in_the_Mid-20th_Century\"><\/span>Voting in the Bronx in the Mid-20th Century<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Puerto Rican residents in the Bronx continued to face suppression in the mid-20th century. For example, Jos\u00e9 Camacho, a Bronx grocer, sued the city over language discrimination. Fluent in Spanish but not English, he argued that American citizens should have the right to vote regardless of language proficiency. His case gained support from the American Jewish Congress, which noted similar barriers for Yiddish speakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These discriminatory practices mirrored those in the Southern U.S. In 1970, the Voting Rights Act was amended to address nationwide voter suppression. The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan fell under its jurisdiction, as less than half of eligible voters had registered or voted in 1968. One provision required federal approval for changes to voting procedures, ensuring transparency in redistricting and other electoral reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1975, Bronx election materials began being published in both English and Spanish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1980s, federal courts twice intervened under the Voting Rights Act. In 1981, judges halted elections due to procedural violations. In 1989, activists claimed over 300,000 Bronx voters were excluded from registration lists, effectively barring them from voting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bronx-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/11\/iqgp1tkqtwdj5mi8na1yyllhni0j2dsfjg7lhx0m_b73ejyoub2tov1illcnpxjlfx49zx3gl2fzqr_tb0uxcqhy7i5rdcqq_s9yaeiftqejcojid1phgtzqqwv-nf_-s18b9_wuqus7svs0chmxvka.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Elections_in_New_York_City_in_the_21st_Century\"><\/span>Elections in New York City in the 21st Century<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal preclearance requirements. During the 2016 presidential election, many New York City voters found their names missing from voter rolls. Investigations revealed that nearly 10,000 voters were disenfranchised, disproportionately affecting Spanish-speaking residents. Media outlets and the Department of Justice filed lawsuits against this discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fighting_for_Voter_Rights_in_the_21st_Century\"><\/span>Fighting for Voter Rights in the 21st Century<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Given the long history of voter suppression in the U.S., New York City, and the Bronx, activists, lawyers, and engaged citizens are urging federal authorities to enact comprehensive electoral reform. Advocates are calling for passage of a bill introduced by New York Assembly Member Latrice Walker, which would require state-level oversight of voting rights. They also demand modernization of New York\u2019s outdated voting system, which remains paper-based, leading to clerical errors and missing names in voter rolls. Such reforms are essential to ensuring all Americans can exercise their right to vote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We live in extraordinary times. Consider the turn of a millennium, the end of the Cold War, the rise and fall of Donald Trump, and the beginning of a devastating war in Ukraine. These events test the global primacy of the American state and its people, primarily through external challenges. Domestically, however, the U.S. faces [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":378,"featured_media":2323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[490],"tags":[1162,1155,1158,1164,1160,1161,1159,1156,1151,1157,1154,1163,1153,1150,1152],"motype":[491],"moformat":[93],"moimportance":[101,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-2833","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-about-politics2","8":"tag-bilingual-election-materials","9":"tag-bronx-election-discrimination","10":"tag-bronx-puerto-rican-voters","11":"tag-bronx-voter-lawsuits","12":"tag-bronx-voter-suppression","13":"tag-bronx-voting-history","14":"tag-english-language-voting-test","15":"tag-history-of-bronx-elections","16":"tag-latrice-walker-reform","17":"tag-nyc-voter-disenfranchisement","18":"tag-nyc-voting-reform","19":"tag-voter-registration-issues","20":"tag-voting-rights-act-1975","21":"tag-voting-rights-act-bronx","22":"tag-voting-rights-bronx","23":"motype-eternal","24":"moformat-longrid-korotka","25":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","26":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/378"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2833"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2833\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2836,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2833\/revisions\/2836"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2833"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=2833"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=2833"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=2833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}