Voting Rights and Income Inequality: Seeing the Connections

Voting Rights and Income Inequality: Seeing the Connections

Greenburgh, NY (April 15, 2015), On April 30, 2015 at Greenburgh Town Hall at 7:00 p.m.,

Westchester for Change, an all-volunteer, grassroots organization is hosting an educational

forum entitled, Voting Rights and Income Inequality: Seeing the Connections. The forum is co-

sponsored by: Citizen Action of New York, Community Voices Heard, Mt. Vernon United

Tenants, NAACP of White Plains and Greenburgh, White Plains Democrats, and WESPAC.

The Voting Rights Act is fifty years old this year.  Yet for all the progress of the last five decades,

politicians continue to neglect many of the concerns of racial minority and lower-income voters.

The 1960’s were the apex for middle class incomes and for voting rights protection.  Since the

1970’s, incomes have become stagnant relative to gains in productivity.  At the same time,

voting rates have declined.  In 2014, only 28 percent of eligible voters in New York State

exercised their right to vote, making New York among the states with the lowest voting

participation rates in the country. See McDonald, Michael, “State Turnout Rates,” United States

Elections Project, (accessed February 24, 2015).

This forum will explore how making voting easier in New York State may lead to economic

changes, such as raising the minimum wage and other economically progressive laws, and how

forum attendees can play a role.

Westchester for Change is delighted to have two recognized experts to address these issues at

this forum: Julie Ebenstein, staff attorney with the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, and Kristina

Andreotta, Deputy Organizing Director, Citizen Action of New York & Public Policy and Education

Fund of New York.

Ms. Ebenstein said, “The right to vote is the cornerstone of democracy.  Making it easier to vote

is one of the goals of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project.  I’m pleased that Westchester for Change

has given me the opportunity to discuss this important topic at its forum.”

Ms. Andreotta said, “Voting is the single most important lever of influence ordinary citizens have

to express their policy preferences.  The easier it is to vote, the more likely more people will

vote, the more likely legislation favorable to lower income and middle class families will pass the

New York State legislature, like raising the minimum wage.  I look forward to speaking at this

Westchester for Change forum.”

Westchester for Change anticipates that several elected officials will be in attendance.

The forum is open to the general public and free of charge.