UTA NAACP Testifies Against Voter Suppression At Commissioners Court

[Music] good afternoon I would like to thank the County Commissioners for this opportunity to speak I am Donley III a proud student of the University of Texas at Arlington a proud resident of Taran County and the current president of the UT NAACP um unit 6812 I'm here in support of early voting sites on college campuses including UT Arlington for years the early voting site at UT Arlington has served as a vital resource allowing students staff and those in the community to exercise their fundamental right that is the right to vote many of the young voters students and those without reliable transportation rely on the convenience of this location to participate in our democracy without it we are asking people to overcome unnecessary barriers to Simply make their voices heard through the vote additionally I would like to stress the fact that the voting site at UT Arlington is easily accessible and recent elections I have used that site um as a voting site and I would like to note that during early uh early voting there is a parking lot directly in front of the voting site and there are parking spots designated for those are voting so even if the parking lot is packed there are then spots for those who are coming into vote to park in for free no price to them as well as a large parking garage directly next to the voting site so parking and accessibility is not an issue and that those who have stressed before me have said that the UT MAV um wheelchair basketball team is nationally renowned so when it comes to access ability UT Arlington is that location and throughout the history of the NAACP we've been at the Forefront of protecting voting rights from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s with legislation such as the Voting Rights Act in 1965 we have always known that the right to vote is the Cornerstone of our democracy that must be protected at all cost regardless of the percentage or number of a demographic that vote in an election that demographic should never be regarded as not as important just because voting locations can be removed does not mean that they should be removed the threat to the UT Arlington voting site is an issue of equity an issue of fairness and an issue of Justice the right to vote should not be conditional on access to Transportation or proximity to a polling place it should be a guaranteed right for all of us thank you thank you