2015 Mar Talk on Voter Suppresion

March Guest Speakers – Jackie Stone and Nancy Telford

League of Women Voters of North County San Diego

About League of Women Voters:

The League of Women Voters of North County San Diego is a chapter of League of Women Voters which was founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt. After a 73 year struggle the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1920 giving women the right to vote. They were perceived as liberals back then because they opposed child labor and they favored women’s right to vote, retain inherited property and redress domestic abuse.

Men are also welcome to join the league. The first male member joined the league in 1971. Currently three male members are on the board. It’s a political organization, focusing on women’s rights and has no political party affiliation. Through education the league encourages active and informed participation in government.

The league invites you to join them to learn about your local government and community, make your voice heard in the political process and help make our world a better place to live.

Voting Right History:

At the beginning of our country’s history, only about 10 – 11% of the population had the right to vote, they had to be white males, at least 21 of age and property owners.

The 15th Amendment created in 1870, that prohibit states from denying a male citizen the right to vote based on the race, was a hollow victory to the racial minorities; states particularly in the South used discriminatory and even violent practices of vote suppression which is defined as a strategy to influence the outcome of an election by discouraging or preventing people from exercising their right to vote.

The 24th Amendment in 1964 prohibited poll taxes in federal elections. Five states continued poll tax requirement in state elections. The Supreme Court’s decision in 1966 ruled that Virginia’s poll tax in state elections was unconstitutional.

The Voting Right Act of 1965 (VRA) gave the Secretary of State and the Department of Justice oversight authority in state election administration. This law set up the Preclearance Requirements so that states with a history of discriminatory practices were required to clear in advance any change in their election processes with the State Dep. Voter suppression tactics continue in different forms, such as gerrymandering, limited vote casting hours, long waits to vote, polling places in distant locations, photo ID requirement (13 states passed the law as of 2013,) giving voters a wrong date and/or polling location, purge voter rolls, and so on.

On June 25, 2013 the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the VRA. This action weakens protection of the VRA because the section had the legislative formula to determine which jurisdictions must get “preclearance” from the federal government to change their voting laws. Since the ruling, a number of measures fostering voter suppression have been passed in states.

Jackie Stone’s Biography:

A born Southerner from Alabama, Jackie Stone arrived in Southern California at eighteen to attend UC at Long Beach and has been a Californian at heart ever since, though her life has led her on a trail through Ohio, Oregon, Idaho and Texas before she returned 25 years ago to Carlsbad, where she has resided, blissfully ever since.

She has a BS from the University of Cincinnati, an MA from the University of Idaho, and an EdD from the University of Houston.

After a career in education as a teacher, a teacher trainer and consultant Jackie devotes herself to volunteering as well as to theater, music and grandchildren in shifting order.

Nancy Telford’s Biography:

Nancy was born and raised in South Dakota where her parents, grandmothers and Aunt Mary were her mentors. They taught Nancy how to care for other human beings and animals, the importance of education and the value of persistence and loyalty. After high school graduation she was a nun in a teaching Order in Iowa for eight years.

Upon college graduation, she taught music, science and math in parochial grade and high schools. After leaving the Order, she moved to Long Beach in 1973 where she worked in the benefits and payroll area of Human Resources at Memorial Hospital followed by Transamerica Corporation. During this time she met and married her husband, Robert, and they’ve been together for 40 years.

In 1998 they moved to San Diego where she was one of the co-founders of a medical company. During her working career, among other things, she spent time as an accounting manager, pension underwriter and human resources director.

Nancy enjoys music, quilting, embroidery, knitting, glass and bead work, photography, Chinese brush painting and all things Asian. She has an intense interest in human medical and mental health as well as canine medicine and plans to pursue related studies. Nancy is an active member of the League of Women Voters, American Association of University Women, Secretary of the Photographic Society and maintains the Encinitas Friends of the Library data base.