By Miriam Wasser | Phoenix New Times
About 50 people gathered in a crowded room at Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church on Wednesday morning to hear a 10-member panel of community and government leaders discuss why, in the aftermath of Arizona’s March 22 presidential preference election, the U.S. Congress must restore the Voting Rights Act before the general election in November.
“Let’s make clear what happened [in the primary] — there was voter suppression,” declared U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, who co-chaired the forum with Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick.
“Was it intentional? We can’t say at this point. But we know for a fact there were hindrances to voting … and none of this would have occurred had we had the Voting Rights Act in place,” he added.
