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Lobby Congress and the Justice Department
Join a national lobbying campaign targeting Congress and the Justice Department with a simple message: conduct an investigation into voting rights violations by the state leadership of the Independence Party.
Sample Letter to Congress
Date:
Honorable ____________________
Washington, DC 20515
Via Facsimile/Email: __________________
Dear Representative __________________:
I am writing to ask that you contact the Justice Department to inquire into the status of a complaint recently filed by Dr. Lenora Fulani, the Committee for a Unified Independent Party and independent voters in 11 states, which cites violations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The complaint seeks a Justice Department investigation into a series of structural and rules changes made by the state leadership of the Independence Party of New York that have the effect of disenfranchising black voters registrants of the party. These changes were made without pre-clearance by the Justice Department. While I reside in your district, these events have effect well beyond New York's boundaries and are of great concern to me and all democracy loving people in this country.
A third of the nation's voters are now registered as unaffiliated or independents. Many of them are African-Americans. The Voting Rights Act was intended to insure that all Americans are able to fully exercise their political options, and that means enrollment in or support for independent parties and candidates should they choose. I am concerned that if the situation in New York is not redressed, it could have a chilling effect nationally on the political mobility of all voters and minority voters in particular.
Please contact John Tanner, Chief of the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department at 202-514-2386.
A cover letter and the full complaint are available on www.cuip.org or by contacting national@cuip.org.
Thank you in advance for your support. Sincerely,
Name _______________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________
City ____________________ State ________ Zip __________
Sample Letter to the US Justice Department
Date:
John Tanner
Chief, Voting Section, Civil Rights Division
Room 7254 - NWB
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20530
Phone: 202-514-2386
Fax Numbers: (202) 307-3961 or (202) 307-2569
Dear Mr. Tanner:
I am writing in support of a complaint recently filed by Dr. Lenora Fulani, the Committee for a Unified Independent Party and independent voters in 11 states which cites violations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). The complaint seeks a Justice Department investigation into a series of structural and rules changes made by the state leadership of the Independence Party of New York that have the effect of disenfranchising black registrants of the party in "covered counties" in New York City. The changes were made without pre-clearance by the Justice Department as required by sections of the VRA. These events have effect well beyond New York's boundaries and are of great concern to me and all democracy loving people in this country.
A third of the nation's voters are now registered independent. Many of them are African-American. The Voting Rights Act was enacted to insure that all Americans are able to fully exercise their political options, and that means enrollment in or support for independent parties and candidates as well as those of major parties.
I am concerned that if the situation in New York is not redressed, it could have a chilling effect nationally on the political mobility of all voters and minority voters in particular.
I strongly urge you to conduct an investigation into the issues raised by the complaint. Please keep me informed.
Thank you in advance for your support. Sincerely,
Name _______________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________
City ____________________ State ________ Zip __________ | 
