Seems there’s a crazy rumor circulating the Internet that African-Americans’ voting rights will end in 2007. Just in case, you’ve never seen the U.S. Constitution or bought into this garbage for some other reason, here’s a brief explanation as to why this is untrue.

Section One of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution reads: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This portion of the Constitution, applicable to both the states and national government, gives African-Americans the right to vote. There is NO TIME LIMIT on this VOTING RIGHT.

However, despite this clearly-stated portion of the Constitution, numerous spurious and illegal tactics were used prior to 1965 to deny African-Americans the opportunity to vote. These tactics included requiring the ownership of land, literacy tests, educational achievement tests, and more. The Voting Rights Act of 1965, along with its amendments and extensions, was enacted to ensure fair voting practices for all eligible citizens. In other words, the Act placed an onus on the U.S. government to police states and localities to ensure that U.S. citizens could properly exercise their enumerated right to vote.

Why then is there confusion about African Americans losing the right to vote in 2007? Fred McBride, Southern Regional Director for the Center for Voting and Democracy, theorizes that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is the seed in this garden of confusion.

In an essay posted at the Center for Voting and Democracy Web site, McBride says, “Section 5 applies to Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and parts of Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, and North Carolina. These areas [called covered jurisdictions] must submit any voting changes to the US Attorney General [the Department of Justice.] These changes can include but are not limited to: changes in the location of a polling place, changing an elected position to an appointive one, changing the existing voting system, etc.”

What does this mean? It means only that in 2007, if Section 5 is not extended, the aforementioned covered jurisdictions will no longer be required to submit voting changes to the Department of Justice. This will not destroy rights granted by the U.S. Constitution. It could, however, mean that new spurious tactics might be used to weaken the VOTING STRENGTH of minorities. For instance, elected positions can become appointed positions, redistricting can occur, and more.

This possibility, which is all it is at this point, also means that each of us needs to know our representatives and his/her stance on voting rights issues. Call, write, email, or visit your representatives to voice your belief that the Voting Rights Act should not only be extended, but enacted to eliminate any future need for extension. (And if you haven’t heard this before, don’t believe everything you read on the Internet. In fact, I suggest you verify this very post by doing your own research.)