WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) commends Major League Baseball (MLB) for its decision to move the July 13 All-Star Game out of Atlanta to protest Georgia’s restrictive voting rights laws. We appreciate that MLB has taken such a strong, active stance against these egregious laws. NASW is firmly committed to ensuring voting rights for all and is outraged that Georgia and several other states have moved to restrict voting rights. Under the guise of protecting against voting fraud, one party seeks to enact these laws clearly as a way to maintain power. These restrictive laws would take our nation back to the shameful days of segregation when people who were Black or Brown were denied the right to vote in many parts of our nation. NASW urges social workers to contact their congressional lawmakers and ask them to support the For the People Act (H.R. 1), which passed the House and is expected to be taken up in the Senate. That legislation would require states to offer at least 15 days of early voting, provide universal access to mail-in voting and same-day registration for federal races. It would also make Election Day a national holiday. The right to vote is the essential foundation to democracy. Social workers must stand against the systemic campaign by one party to curtail the vote, targeted particularly at Black, Brown, and Indigenous people.
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.