Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) Comments on Importance of Merrill v. Milligan

Washington, D.C. – Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), made the following statement after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the voting rights case Merrill v. Milligan. The case focuses on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 which protects the right to vote for racial minorities by requiring that redistricting of congressional districts be done in a way that does not reduce the opportunity for minorities “to elect representatives of their choice.”

“We commend Evan Milligan, Executive Director of Alabama Forward, for being the lead plaintiff in this case and for his efforts, with others, in advocating for Americans’ right to fair representation today in Merrill v. Milligan. In Alabama, 27 percent of the voting-age population is African American. Yet, because of the way congressional districts were redrawn by the state legislature, only one district is a majority-Black district. This is a clear example of voter disenfranchisement, and cannot be allowed to stand.”

“This case represents a critical point in whether or not we preserve all our nation’s citizens’ freedom to vote. Simply put, the VRA ensures that Americans, regardless of ethnicity, freedom to vote is protected and that they are fairly represented by their elected government. If the Supreme Court allows Alabama’s racially-gerrymandered congressional map to stand, it will further erode this landmark civil rights legislation. Voters of color, including AAPIs, will be at an even more increased risk of having the power of their votes diminished and their voices silenced.”

“The Supreme Court has a duty to uphold the VRA and stop these anti-democratic attacks. If the VRA is not upheld, we risk eroding the protections millions of Americans rely on to fully participate in the democratic process and risk AAPIs seeing their voting power withered.”