Dept. of Transportation investigating Alabama for possible civil rights violations

Recently, Alabama closed around 30 of its DMV locations that offered drivers license services, and the announcement caused ripples of concern in the civil rights community as many were left asking how the closures would affect the ability to vote of many of the rural citizens (many of whom are black) who live in the affected areas.

TheGrio Staff

Dec 23, 2015

Because Alabama voting laws require people to have a state-issued photo ID in order to vote, people who are affected by the DMV closings now face a new obstacle to voting and obtaining their IDs.

While many are concerned about the voting implications, however, the Department of Transportation is investigating the DMV closings for discrimination with regards to transportation.

“Our concern rests in the possibility that the state’s closure of driver license offices disproportionately constrains the ability of some residents to secure driving privileges, register personal and commercial vehicles, and obtain proper identification—a critical requirement for access to essential activities such as opening a bank account and voting,” said DOT’s acting civil rights director Stephanie Jones in a press release.

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley replied to the announcement of the investigation with disdain, saying, “This USDOT investigation is nothing more than a weak attempt to embarrass the people of Alabama and exploit our state in the name of a political agenda. I am confident that the USDOT investigation will find no basis for the claims of discrimination.”