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OCR Page 1 of 28JWC
4/28/82
DRAFT PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT ON VOTING RIGHTS
Last November I stated my strong belief that the Voting
Rights Act should and must be extended to ensure that the
most precious of rights- the right to vote-- is protected
for all our citizens. Now, as the Senate Judiciary Committee
begins its consideration of legislation to accomplish this
worthy goal, I want to again stress my firm commitment to an
extension of the Voting Rights Act.
This Administration has been concerned, though, that certain
ambiguities in the extension bill passed by the House of Rep-
resentatives could lead to a restructuring of election systems
at all levels of government to ensure that election results
reflect a minority group's percentage of the total population.
This type of proportional representation, if it transpired,
would run directly contrary to the traditional electoral prin-
ciples of our country.
It is my understanding that a compromise amendment will soon be
introduced in the Judiciary Committee that will attempt to address
the above concern, and several of the other legitimate concerns
raised regarding the House-passed bill. In particular, we have
reviewed the compromise language proposed for Section 2 of the
Act; we feel it now contains adequate protections against the
possibility of proportional representation, and we support it.
As I have previously stated, we are also committed to a
reasonable bailout provision in the Act, and to a limitation
on extension of the pre-clearance provisions that will allow
for automatic review of the need to continue such requirements
in the future.
With calmness and in a spirit of cooperation that does not
yield to partisanship, we must moye forward with an extension
of the Voting Rights Act before certain of its provisions expire.
I am encouraged by the efforts shown to accomodate the legitimate
concerns raised in consideration of this issue, and look forward
to being able to sign, in the near future, an extension of the
Voting Rights Act that will restate our Nation's basic commitment
to safeguard the voting rights of all Americans.