WASHINGTON: A conservative commentator once advised him to “shut up and dribble,” but basketball legend LeBron James is bringing star power to a voter mobilization movement as concerns over disenfranchisement swell ahead of November’s presidential election. The move comes on the heels of a voting fiasco in the state of Georgia this week that multiplied concerns about voter suppression, particularly affecting people of color. Experts say about two dozen states have taken steps to restrict voting, with a disproportionate impact on minority groups. Progressive organizations for years have denounced obstacles that hinder participation, such as voter identification laws, hurdles for registration and reduction of polling stations. While the COVID-19 risk will prompt more voters to cast ballots by mail, “some communities — more typically communities of color — rely on polling places,” she said.

Source: Manila Times June 12, 2020 15:11 UTC