Santa Ana celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act

City of Santa Ana

Community Alert: 50th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act

The City of Santa Ana, in partnership with the Orange County Voter Registrar’s Office and the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, announces that August 6th marks the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, which was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a milestone in national legislation that prohibits discriminatory voting practices from disenfranchising African Americans and makes it illegal to require eligible voters to pass literacy tests in order to register to vote. Since its initial passage, the Act has expanded its reach with amendments that assist minorities in the voting process by providing language-specific election materials to jurisdictions with large numbers of minorities whose primary language is not English.

The Orange County Voter Registrar’s Office has prepared a brochure detailing the history and compliance efforts. The report is available here.

Residents are encouraged to celebrate the Voting Rights Act all this month by registering to vote, checking and updating your voter registration status, and requesting election material in your language from the Orange County Voter Registrar’s Office at www.ocvote.com before the next General Municipal Election to be held on November 8, 2016. Election related information specific to Santa Ana is available on the City’s website at: http://www.santa-ana.org/coc/elections.asp.

For more information please contact the Santa Ana Clerk of the Council Office at (714) 647-6520, during regular business hours..

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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