Voting Rights Activists Want SOTU Support

Activists are asking President Obama to support DC voting rights in his State of the Union address. They're asking the public to chime in on what he should say.

For D-C Vote's Eugene Kinlow, it's all about one word: democracy.

An important part of being an American is having somebody who can vote and support your interests," he says. "In the District of Columbia, there are 600,000 residents who do not have a voice, and thats undemocratic.

So the non-profit has been asking residents for suggestions. The District's non-voting Congresswoman, Eleanor Holmes Norton, says she's writing her own letter to Mr. Obama. The President has been silent on the issue, even after a bill that would have granted DC a vote stalled on Capitol Hill last summer.

We're citizens of the United States who have fought for their country and have paid taxes," she says. "So its a magic opportunity for the President to come forward and speak out.

The deadline to submit suggestions is tonight. An internet vote will determine the top three entries, which DC Vote will send to the White House.

http://wamu.org/news/10/01/11.php

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http://wamu.org/audio/nw/10/01/n6100111-31477.asx

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