By Rep. Terri Sewell
Sewell represents  Alabama’s 7th Congressional District

On Sept. 30, my Black Belt constituents were dealt yet another devastating blow when it was announced by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency that it would close 31 driver’s license offices. The decision left eight out of the 14 counties in my district without a DMV that will issue driver’s licenses. Many of the residents affected by this decision will have to travel miles outside of their communities to take a driver’s tests and obtain state-issued identification. This fact means many of my constituents who have limited modes of transportation will be denied an equal opportunity to obtain a means to vote.

In a state that has adopted one of the country’s harshest voter ID laws, this decision also threatens the civil and human rights that so many daughters and sons of the Black Belt fought, bled and died to protect. And while the law requires state-issued identification to cast ballots at the poll, an estimated 250,000 Alabamians do not have an acceptable form of identification to make their voices heard. The closure of these offices diminishes the chances of improving that number. 50 years after the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, we continue to witness renewed assaults on the sacred right to vote. This shameful decision by the Alabama State Legislature is yet another form of voter suppression that undermines the premise that every vote and every voice matters. How can we legitimately increase requirements to vote without also increasing the available options to meet these requirements?

Despite the rationale, we cannot ignore the fact that the consequence of this decision will have a negative impact on the most vulnerable communities in the state of Alabama. There is no denying that the populations in the eight counties in my district that will lose driver’s license offices are majority African American and overwhelmingly low income. It is unacceptable that Alabama officials seek to balance the budget on the backs of the poor, the elderly, the disabled and black communities.

State officials are disingenuous in suggesting that alternative options exist to get a photo ID. The County Boards of Registrars and the mobile units were available last election cycle and despite this, I received several complaints about their inaccessibility and inconvenience. I am especially appalled at those suggesting online services as an alternative considering the lack of access to broadband and home computers in the Black Belt. Just because alternatives exist, it does not negate the fact that the people most affected by the closures are also economically disadvantaged and black. It is still true that the state of Alabama is making it more difficult to vote. We also cannot allow the budgetary difficulties of the moment to compromise the cornerstone of American democracy—the vote.

I call on Alabama officials to either rescind the voter ID law or allow these 31 offices to remain open. I am also writing to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to request an investigation into the effect these closures will have on the African American community and their access to the ballot box.

This is a call to action for all of us. To restrict the ability of any Alabamian to vote is an assault on the rights of all Alabamians to equally participate in the electoral process. There are moments in history where we as policy makers hold in our hands the destiny of those we represent. I urge the Alabama State Legislature to consider the disparate impact of this decision. I often remind my colleagues in Congress that as a nation and as a state, we commit our resources to that which we value. We must show the men and women of this state and the Black Belt that we value them as citizens and contributors to our democracy by removing unnecessary barriers to voting.