YWCA Statement on Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee Supreme Court Decision

On July 1, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in the case of Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee upholding Arizona’s laws that discarded ballots cast in the wrong precinct and severely limits the ability of third parties to collect ballots and hand them over to election officials. YWCA USA Interim CEO and COO Elisha Rhodes has issued the following statement in response:“In yet another defining moment for our nation and for the millions of people of color who make their voices heard in elections, the ability to cast a vote that is counted just got harder.Even as women of color are playing a critical role in our democracy by voting, running for office, and winning elections in record numbers, the broader societal benefit of their leadership and civic engagement is undercut by the ongoing concerted effort to limit their access to the ballot box utilizing tactics like those being implemented in the state of Arizona. The Arizona laws upheld by the Supreme Court are discriminatory in practice, disproportionately impacting the voting rights of BIPOC communities. They also weaken vital protections in Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, making future challenges against voter suppression laws even more difficult.There is too simply much at stake for women of color and marginalized communities to be sidelined in exercising their most fundamental rights of citizenship. We must, as a nation, repair the damage of this most recent Supreme Court decision by taking immediate action to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. YWCA will continue mobilizing and doing the work to secure our fundamental voting rights, until justice just is.”