I am writing on behalf of Dēmos to express our strong support for the Maryland Voting Rights
Act (Counties and Municipal Corporations – HB350), which is a Maryland-specific state voting
rights act.
Dēmos is a non-profit public policy organization working to build a just, inclusive multiracial
democracy and economy. We build power with and for Black and brown communities through
our strategic partnerships with state-based and grassroots organizations, applying more than two
decades of experience advancing policy solutions, research, legal advocacy, and narrative
strategies. Since our founding in 2000, we have collaborated with our partners to put prodemocracy and economic justice narratives at the center of the national conversation and shift
law and policy closer toward a just, multiracial democracy.
Dēmos strongly urges the Committee to pass HB 350 to enact protections against racial vote
dilution in Maryland. Racial vote dilution occurs when electoral practices, such as at-large
elections or unfair district maps, weaken the voting strength of voters of color, effectively
denying those voters and their communities meaningful political participation. The protections
outlined in HB 350 are essential to ensuring that all Marylanders, particularly those from
historically disenfranchised communities, have an equal opportunity to elect representatives of
their choice.
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