Speech #890032029

Toward this end. I am today introducing my own bill which incorporates those important improvements which I believe are necessary to achieve the voting equality which we seek. First among these changes should be the complete abolition of literacy tests as a means of qualifying voters. Such tests have long been used as a pernicious means of discrimination at the pollsnot only in the South where it has become so evident these past few weeks. but as far away as my own State of New York where countless Spanishspeaking citizenswho are perfectly literate in their own tongue. and who often have high school or college degreesare denied this basic right because they are not literate in English. The argument can be made that the sovereign States have the prerogative to set whatever qualifications they deem necessary. including literacy tests. This is true and none would deny it. But it is equally true that the 15th amendment empowers Congress to curtail any such State qualifications when they are used in a discriminatory manner. I feel that the literacy test has so long been used as such a means that we should act now to exercise our congressional obligation to strike it out. This gives rise to the very serious question of whether or not our polls will be flooded by ignorant voters. I have given this careful consideration and can honestly say that it is my belief that with radio and TV news coverage at the advanced state it is today. the means of informing oneself of the issues at hand are just as adequate for a person who can neither read nor write as they are for a person who is literate. The second change which I would seek would be an extension of the coverage of the bill to those counties where. although literacy tests are not given. less than 25 percent of the nonwhite population was registered in 1964. We would indeed be myopic if we thought that literacy tests were the only means of voter discrimination in the South or elsewhere. While the provision in the administration bill for the automatic appointment of registrars is good. it should be extended to those areas where literacy tests do not apply. For example. Arkansas has no literacy test. yet only 40.3 percent of the nonwhite eligible voting population was registered in 1964 as compared to 65.4 percent of the white population. The actual voting figures were much lower. The third improvement I seek Is the removal of the requirement that those who have been repeatedly harrassed by local officials must in some cases apply to the same officials before they can register with a Federal examiner.