DC Voting Rights
Most Americans assume that all U.S. citizens have a right to vote and a right to representation (two Senators and a Representative). However, this is not the case for the approximately 600,000 residents of the District of Columbia. Although these citizens live in our nation’s capital, pay federal taxes and serve in the armed forces, they do not have representation in their federal legislature. District residents have no representation in the Senate and a non-voting Delegate in the House. As a result, DC residents are relegated to second-class citizenship. They are unable to bring grievances to influential Federal officials or reap the benefits Senators and Representatives are able to provide to their constituents.

While DC residents did have representation in the early 1790’s, DC residents lost their right to vote in 1801 after the passage of the Organic Act, when Congress voted to take control of the District of Columbia. This occurred just ten years after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and a mere 26 years after the famous declaration by Sam Adams--“No Taxation Without Representation”-- a version on the motto remains on DC license plates today.

FairVote firmly stands behind the right of every U.S. citizen to have a meaningful vote. DC residents are no different than all other Americans and should not be treated as such. If Congress can take away voting rights of citizens, then surely it can replace them. Every DC resident should be able to elect a voting member of the House of Representatives and two U.S. Senators.

[ Learn more about the DC VRA ]

[ The District of Columbia and Presidential Nominations ]

[ For more information on the DC voting rights movement, visit DC Vote ]


 
Huckabee backs D.C. voting rights bill

By Karissa Marcum
Published August 31st 2007 in The Hill
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) is breaking with President Bush on the D.C. voting rights bill.
   
In a teleconference with reporters on Friday, Huckabee said, “They’re American citizens. They pay taxes and it just doesn’t seem right that someone could be even partially disenfranchised.”
   
The bill would allow the District of Columbia to have a full voting member of Congress and permanently increase House membership by two seats, the other one for Republican-leaning Utah. The House passed its measure in April and the Senate is expected to act on the issue this fall.
   
Huckabee acknowledged the reluctance of some of his fellow Republicans to back the bill. He has not been shy in bucking his party on some matters, saying, “I’ve been running for president of the United States, I am not running for president of the Republican Party.”
   
The White House released a statement in March stating the president would be advised to veto the bill if it reached his desk, citing concerns that giving the district a representative would be unconstitutional.