2008 Board Endorsed Resolutions
When OHALAH was a Branch of ALEPH, the OHALAH Board issued the following Board Statements:
We, caring citizens of the world, sign our names to the resolution below to raise consciousness concerning health care, the global economy and the need to care for the most vulnerable among us.
HEALTH CARE – We applaud governments who provide access to health care for all of their citizens and residents. We beseech countries that do not yet provide health care for all of their citizens and residents to make every effort to do so as soon as humanly possible. This includes providing health care facilities and health care services in such as way as to render them affordable and accessible.
GREEN MARKET ECONOMY – We call your attention to the realities of global economic interdependence. See for example http://www.economywatch.com/market-economy/global-market-economy.html. We call for access to investment opportunities that support socially conscious commodities, such as food grown through healthy and organic means, energies that are environmentally friendly, and products and technologies that do not fund war.
CARING FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE AMONG US – We applaud the commitments of the world’s wealthy nations that help to relieve the indebtedness of poor and developing nations and that provide foreign aid in times of both natural and human disaster. In addition to these efforts, we call for an annual contribution by wealthy nations to a fund that would be monitored by a non-governmental agency with representation from all contributing nations with the purpose of distributing the funds to non-governmental agencies in poor and developing nations and among poor and underserved populations in developing nations to provide basic nutrition, preventative health care and disease control and treatment.
As the calendar turns in each culture and corner of the globe, hope and celebration touch the hearts of those who celebrate. As the calendar turns in your part of the world, please take steps to help make the world a better place for all the inhabitants of the world.
The following individuals joined the OHALAH Board in supporting the above statement:
Eshet Hazon Matia Rania Angelou, Wayland, Massachusetts.
Rabbi Chava Bahle, Michigan
Rabbi Dennis Beck-Berman, Petersburg, VA
Rabbi Pamela Frydman Baugh, San Francisco, California
Rabbi Elisheva Beyer, Reno, Nevada
Rabbi Eli Cohen, Santa Cruz, California
Rabbi Howard Cohen, Vermont
Rabbi Diane Elliot, Richmond, California
Rabbi Dan Goldblatt, Danville, California
Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, Oakland, California
Rabbi Shaya Isenberg, Gainesville, Florida
Rabbi Raachel Jurovics, Raleigh, North Carolina
Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan, Vancouver, Canada
Rabbi Lori Klein, Capitola, California
Rabbi Eyal Levinson, Givataim, Israel Abbe Lyons, Ithaca, New York
Rabbi Paula Marcus, Santa Cruz, California
Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, Las Vegas, Nevada
Rabbi David Shneyer, Washington, D.C.
Ed Stafman, Tallahassee, Florida
Rabbi Shohama Wiener, New Rochelle, NY
Ora Weiss, Jerusalem, Israel
OHALAH 2008 Board Statement Endorsing the Right to MarryMarriage has been a protected human right since time immemorial. The time has come to extend that right to same sex couples. We are inspired by the example of Canada, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of California that extend the right of marriage to same sex couples. We applaud the leadership of Great Britain, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Iceland, France, New Zealand and the States of Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Oregon, Maine, Washington, Hawaii and the District of Columbia that provide support for same sex couples by sanctioning same-sex registered partnerships or civil unions or by providing some form of spousal rights for gay and lesbian couples.
We call upon the people of California to vote in the November election in favor of same sex marriage, which is in danger of being outlawed once again in that state. We call upon Americans who live in other states where same sex marriage will be on the ballot to educate themselves, and to vote against measures that state that marriage is between a man and a woman because that language–although traditionally linguistically correct–denies the human rights of the gay, lesbian and bisexual members of the community.
The following individuals joined the OHALAH Board in supporting the above statement:
Eshet Hazon Matia Rania Angelou, Wayland, Massachusetts
Rabbi Chava Bahle, Michigan
Rabbi Pamela Frydman Baugh, San Francisco, California
Rabbi Eli Cohen, Santa Cruz, California
Rabbi Howard Cohen, Vermont
Rabbi Diane Elliot, Richmond, California
Rabbi Dan Goldblatt, Danville, California
Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, Oakland, California
Rabbi Shaya Isenberg, Gainesville, Florida
Rabbi Raachel Jurovics, Raleigh, North Carolina
Rabbi Lori Klein, Capitola, California
Rabbi Deb Kolodny, Washington, D.C.
Rabbi Eyal Levinson, Givataim, Israel
Rabbi Paula Marcus, Santa Cruz, California
Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, Las Vegas, Nevada
Rabbi David Mivasair, Vancouver British Columbia
Rabbi David Shneyer, Washington, D.C.
Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg
Ed Stafman, Tallahassee, Florida
Rabbi Bridget Wynne, El Cerrito, California
2008 OHALAH Board Statement Concerngin Kosher Meat by Unkosher MeansTraditional Jewish Law prescribes precise actions and conditions required in order for food to bear a “Kosher” label. Likewise, Jewish Law has precise guidelines for allowed and forbidden actions and conditions for the treatment of workers, including immigrant workers. In situations where Jewish Law regarding the treatment of workers has been violated in the process of their preparing of food for “Kosher” certification, we believe that food must be denied “Kosher” certification.
In The Fire Within, a biography of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, the book’s author, Rabbi Hillel Goldberg, relates that Rabbi Salanter advised his students that when they were preparing matzot for Passover, they should not overwork themselves or make excessive demands of the female workers who were kneading the dough and otherwise preparing for the matzah baking. That same account appears in a Hebrew volume titled Bikkurei Shai, written by a modern Israeli rabbi who has served as Chief Rabbi of Givatayim, Israel. If Chassidim making matzot for their own use and the use of the community must pay attention to worker rights, it is also incumbent upon us to treat immigrants the same under the Torah based halachah of treating the stranger as the home-born.
Reports arising from the May 12, 2008 Department of Homeland Security raid at the AgriProcessors Kosher Meat Packing Plant in Postville, Iowa, establish that there are credible allegations that the owners and management of AgriProcessors committed serious violations of Jewish Law against scores of immigrant workers at the plant including sexual assault and harassment, rape, abuse, and use of child labor.
Under these circumstances and credible allegations, we call upon our fellow clergy who provide Kashruth certification to suspend the certification of “Kosher” meat from AgriProcessors until the truthfulness of these allegations are determined in a proper legal forum where the workers, and the owners and management, have a hearing that complies with the requirements of due process of civil and Jewish laws.
We also call upon our fellow Jews to boycott meat from AgriProcessors until this determination. If these allegations are determined to be true, the “Kosher” decertification and boycott should continue until full t’shuva and tikkun is done by the owners and management of AgriProcessors, including apologies to the workers, full compensation for their injuries, and the implementation of procedures and systems with effective monitoring to ensure that abuse of AgriProcessors workers never occurs again.
The following individuals joined the OHALAH Board in supporting the above statement:
Eshet Hazon Matia Rania Angelou, Wayland, Massachusetts
Rabbi Chava Bahle, Suttons Bay, Michigan
Rabbi Dennis Beck-Berman, Petersburg, VA
Rabbi Pamela Frydman Baugh, San Francisco, California
Rabbi Eli Cohen, Santa Cruz, California
Rabbi Howard Cohen, Vermont
Rabbi Julie Hilton Danan, Chico, California.
John K. Diamond, Newport News, Virginia
Rabbi Diane Elliot, Richmond, California R
abbinic Pastor Kate Shulamit Fagan, St. Petersburg Florida
Rabbinic Pastor Andrew Gold, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Rabbi Dan Goldblatt, Danville, California
Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, Ph.D, President Academy for Jewish Religion, Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, Oakland, California
Rabbi Naomi Mara Hyman, Easton, Maryland
Rabbi Raachel Jurovics, Raleigh, North Carolina
Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan, Vancouver, Canada
Ms. Marky Kelly, Portland, Oregon
Rabbi Lori Klein, Capitola, California
Rabbi Judith Kummer, Boston, Massachusetts
Rabbi Gilah Langner, Washington DC
Rabbi Michael Lerner, San Francisco, California
Rabbi Stan Levy, Los Angeles, California
Cantorial Student Abbe Lyons, Ithaca, New York
Rabbi Paula Marcus, Santa Cruz, California
Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, Las Vegas, Nevada
Rabbi David Roller, Gilbert, Arizona Frederic C. Schultz, J.D., San Diego, CA
Rabbi David Shneyer, Washington, D.C. Ed Stafman, Tallahassee, Florida
Lester M. Tubman, Northridge, California Yisraela Tubman, Northridge, California
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Hollace Westfeldt, Boulder, Colorado
Rabbi Shohama Wiener, New York
2008 Professional Ethics Statement of the OHALAH Board and Ethics CommitteeL’shem yichud kudsha brich hu ushechintey hamekadeshet umevarechet otanu beshalva vavetach. In the name of Oneness, blessed be, and the Shechina who blesses and sanctifies us with equanimity and safety.
There are people all over the world connected with one another through their professions and their faith in one another and in humanity. Doctors, nurses, therapists and others in the healing professions may work shoulder to shoulder to find cures at home and to treat patients on the front lines of disaster relief and human need. Teachers and clergy often reach across divides to help their students and congregants learn about others both at home and abroad.
All of us who work in these professions or enjoy the fruits of those who work in these professions can appreciate the importance of good boundaries to keep us safe and ensure that we and our loved ones are treated fairly.
Policies concerning privacy and confidentiality characterize the rights of students, congregants, patients and clients. The right to be treated fairly and honestly, equitably and respectfully is a right that is available in more and more venues and circumstances as professional standards evolve throughout the world.
OHALAH, the Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal, wishes to engage in consciousness-raising among our members and their congregants, constituents and students that one has recourse regarding the professionals in our lives, include the clergy in our lives, and also the professionals who treat us when we are ill and who teach and guide and counsel us and our children.
To this end, we have declared 2009 (5769) “THE YEAR OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS.” We invite you to share the information in this brief article in your newsletter, on your website and/or as a handout available to those who visit your community or institution.
We invite you to schedule a workshop in your community to better educate yourselves in the professional boundaries extant in the state, region or nation where you live concerning medical treatment, education and the practice of your faith. Learn about the offices and agencies available to respond to questions and receive complaints and concerns. Find ways to make this information available to your constituents both now and in the future.
Like many rabbinic associations and other associations of professionals, OHALAH’s governing policies are available to the public. OHALAH policies are on our website at www.ohalah.org/guidelinesohalah.htm, including our policy regarding membership standards and our clergy code regarding sexual and financial ethics.
May the professional standards that affect our lives be stepping-stones to a safer and more equitable future for all.
Keyn yehi ratzon. So may it be.
2008 OHALAH Board Statement Regarding Votes Rights in the United StatesWe urge the federal government and all state governments in the United States of America to be impeccable in ensuring that all registered voters are allowed to vote on November 4, 2008, to reverse any and all improper purging of voters from the voting roles, and any and all improper addition of voters to the voting roles, whether inadvertent or otherwise, and to prosecute all those found to be engaging in vote caging and other activities that would intimidate or otherwise thwart or prevent voters from exercising their right to vote.
“As a rabbinical association, we feel strongly that every voice must be heard in the upcoming election. This is a matter of tikkun olam, the repair of the world,” says OHALAH President, Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, citing the Jewish idea that every human being plays a role in creating a more just and peaceful world.
We have been advised that Democratic and Republican Party officials have raised concerns about improper activity that each party alleges have been committed by supporters of the other party, including: •Improper addition of voters to the voting rolls, •Improper removal of qualified voters from the voting rolls, •“Vote caging,” by which a political party entraps voters into circumstances that the party then uses to challenge voting status on Election Day, •Disseminating incorrect information, such as informing voters that they can be arrested at their polling place if their mortgage payments are in arrears or if they have outstanding parking tickets, and •Other forms of intimidation and thwarting or preventing qualified voters from exercising their right to vote.
When OHALAH was a Branch of ALEPH, the OHALAH Board issued the following Board Statements:
We, caring citizens of the world, sign our names to the resolution below to raise consciousness concerning health care, the global economy and the need to care for the most vulnerable among us.
HEALTH CARE – We applaud governments who provide access to health care for all of their citizens and residents. We beseech countries that do not yet provide health care for all of their citizens and residents to make every effort to do so as soon as humanly possible. This includes providing health care facilities and health care services in such as way as to render them affordable and accessible.
GREEN MARKET ECONOMY – We call your attention to the realities of global economic interdependence. See for example http://www.economywatch.com/market-economy/global-market-economy.html. We call for access to investment opportunities that support socially conscious commodities, such as food grown through healthy and organic means, energies that are environmentally friendly, and products and technologies that do not fund war.
CARING FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE AMONG US – We applaud the commitments of the world’s wealthy nations that help to relieve the indebtedness of poor and developing nations and that provide foreign aid in times of both natural and human disaster. In addition to these efforts, we call for an annual contribution by wealthy nations to a fund that would be monitored by a non-governmental agency with representation from all contributing nations with the purpose of distributing the funds to non-governmental agencies in poor and developing nations and among poor and underserved populations in developing nations to provide basic nutrition, preventative health care and disease control and treatment.
As the calendar turns in each culture and corner of the globe, hope and celebration touch the hearts of those who celebrate. As the calendar turns in your part of the world, please take steps to help make the world a better place for all the inhabitants of the world.
The following individuals joined the OHALAH Board in supporting the above statement:
Eshet Hazon Matia Rania Angelou, Wayland, Massachusetts.
Rabbi Chava Bahle, Michigan
Rabbi Dennis Beck-Berman, Petersburg, VA
Rabbi Pamela Frydman Baugh, San Francisco, California
Rabbi Elisheva Beyer, Reno, Nevada
Rabbi Eli Cohen, Santa Cruz, California
Rabbi Howard Cohen, Vermont
Rabbi Diane Elliot, Richmond, California
Rabbi Dan Goldblatt, Danville, California
Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, Oakland, California
Rabbi Shaya Isenberg, Gainesville, Florida
Rabbi Raachel Jurovics, Raleigh, North Carolina
Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan, Vancouver, Canada
Rabbi Lori Klein, Capitola, California
Rabbi Eyal Levinson, Givataim, Israel Abbe Lyons, Ithaca, New York
Rabbi Paula Marcus, Santa Cruz, California
Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, Las Vegas, Nevada
Rabbi David Shneyer, Washington, D.C.
Ed Stafman, Tallahassee, Florida
Rabbi Shohama Wiener, New Rochelle, NY
Ora Weiss, Jerusalem, Israel
OHALAH 2008 Board Statement Endorsing the Right to MarryMarriage has been a protected human right since time immemorial. The time has come to extend that right to same sex couples. We are inspired by the example of Canada, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of California that extend the right of marriage to same sex couples. We applaud the leadership of Great Britain, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Iceland, France, New Zealand and the States of Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Oregon, Maine, Washington, Hawaii and the District of Columbia that provide support for same sex couples by sanctioning same-sex registered partnerships or civil unions or by providing some form of spousal rights for gay and lesbian couples.
We call upon the people of California to vote in the November election in favor of same sex marriage, which is in danger of being outlawed once again in that state. We call upon Americans who live in other states where same sex marriage will be on the ballot to educate themselves, and to vote against measures that state that marriage is between a man and a woman because that language–although traditionally linguistically correct–denies the human rights of the gay, lesbian and bisexual members of the community.
The following individuals joined the OHALAH Board in supporting the above statement:
Eshet Hazon Matia Rania Angelou, Wayland, Massachusetts
Rabbi Chava Bahle, Michigan
Rabbi Pamela Frydman Baugh, San Francisco, California
Rabbi Eli Cohen, Santa Cruz, California
Rabbi Howard Cohen, Vermont
Rabbi Diane Elliot, Richmond, California
Rabbi Dan Goldblatt, Danville, California
Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, Oakland, California
Rabbi Shaya Isenberg, Gainesville, Florida
Rabbi Raachel Jurovics, Raleigh, North Carolina
Rabbi Lori Klein, Capitola, California
Rabbi Deb Kolodny, Washington, D.C.
Rabbi Eyal Levinson, Givataim, Israel
Rabbi Paula Marcus, Santa Cruz, California
Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, Las Vegas, Nevada
Rabbi David Mivasair, Vancouver British Columbia
Rabbi David Shneyer, Washington, D.C.
Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg
Ed Stafman, Tallahassee, Florida
Rabbi Bridget Wynne, El Cerrito, California
2008 OHALAH Board Statement Concerngin Kosher Meat by Unkosher MeansTraditional Jewish Law prescribes precise actions and conditions required in order for food to bear a “Kosher” label. Likewise, Jewish Law has precise guidelines for allowed and forbidden actions and conditions for the treatment of workers, including immigrant workers. In situations where Jewish Law regarding the treatment of workers has been violated in the process of their preparing of food for “Kosher” certification, we believe that food must be denied “Kosher” certification.
In The Fire Within, a biography of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, the book’s author, Rabbi Hillel Goldberg, relates that Rabbi Salanter advised his students that when they were preparing matzot for Passover, they should not overwork themselves or make excessive demands of the female workers who were kneading the dough and otherwise preparing for the matzah baking. That same account appears in a Hebrew volume titled Bikkurei Shai, written by a modern Israeli rabbi who has served as Chief Rabbi of Givatayim, Israel. If Chassidim making matzot for their own use and the use of the community must pay attention to worker rights, it is also incumbent upon us to treat immigrants the same under the Torah based halachah of treating the stranger as the home-born.
Reports arising from the May 12, 2008 Department of Homeland Security raid at the AgriProcessors Kosher Meat Packing Plant in Postville, Iowa, establish that there are credible allegations that the owners and management of AgriProcessors committed serious violations of Jewish Law against scores of immigrant workers at the plant including sexual assault and harassment, rape, abuse, and use of child labor.
Under these circumstances and credible allegations, we call upon our fellow clergy who provide Kashruth certification to suspend the certification of “Kosher” meat from AgriProcessors until the truthfulness of these allegations are determined in a proper legal forum where the workers, and the owners and management, have a hearing that complies with the requirements of due process of civil and Jewish laws.
We also call upon our fellow Jews to boycott meat from AgriProcessors until this determination. If these allegations are determined to be true, the “Kosher” decertification and boycott should continue until full t’shuva and tikkun is done by the owners and management of AgriProcessors, including apologies to the workers, full compensation for their injuries, and the implementation of procedures and systems with effective monitoring to ensure that abuse of AgriProcessors workers never occurs again.
The following individuals joined the OHALAH Board in supporting the above statement:
Eshet Hazon Matia Rania Angelou, Wayland, Massachusetts
Rabbi Chava Bahle, Suttons Bay, Michigan
Rabbi Dennis Beck-Berman, Petersburg, VA
Rabbi Pamela Frydman Baugh, San Francisco, California
Rabbi Eli Cohen, Santa Cruz, California
Rabbi Howard Cohen, Vermont
Rabbi Julie Hilton Danan, Chico, California.
John K. Diamond, Newport News, Virginia
Rabbi Diane Elliot, Richmond, California R
abbinic Pastor Kate Shulamit Fagan, St. Petersburg Florida
Rabbinic Pastor Andrew Gold, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Rabbi Dan Goldblatt, Danville, California
Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, Ph.D, President Academy for Jewish Religion, Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, Oakland, California
Rabbi Naomi Mara Hyman, Easton, Maryland
Rabbi Raachel Jurovics, Raleigh, North Carolina
Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan, Vancouver, Canada
Ms. Marky Kelly, Portland, Oregon
Rabbi Lori Klein, Capitola, California
Rabbi Judith Kummer, Boston, Massachusetts
Rabbi Gilah Langner, Washington DC
Rabbi Michael Lerner, San Francisco, California
Rabbi Stan Levy, Los Angeles, California
Cantorial Student Abbe Lyons, Ithaca, New York
Rabbi Paula Marcus, Santa Cruz, California
Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, Las Vegas, Nevada
Rabbi David Roller, Gilbert, Arizona Frederic C. Schultz, J.D., San Diego, CA
Rabbi David Shneyer, Washington, D.C. Ed Stafman, Tallahassee, Florida
Lester M. Tubman, Northridge, California Yisraela Tubman, Northridge, California
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Hollace Westfeldt, Boulder, Colorado
Rabbi Shohama Wiener, New York
2008 Professional Ethics Statement of the OHALAH Board and Ethics CommitteeL’shem yichud kudsha brich hu ushechintey hamekadeshet umevarechet otanu beshalva vavetach. In the name of Oneness, blessed be, and the Shechina who blesses and sanctifies us with equanimity and safety.
There are people all over the world connected with one another through their professions and their faith in one another and in humanity. Doctors, nurses, therapists and others in the healing professions may work shoulder to shoulder to find cures at home and to treat patients on the front lines of disaster relief and human need. Teachers and clergy often reach across divides to help their students and congregants learn about others both at home and abroad.
All of us who work in these professions or enjoy the fruits of those who work in these professions can appreciate the importance of good boundaries to keep us safe and ensure that we and our loved ones are treated fairly.
Policies concerning privacy and confidentiality characterize the rights of students, congregants, patients and clients. The right to be treated fairly and honestly, equitably and respectfully is a right that is available in more and more venues and circumstances as professional standards evolve throughout the world.
OHALAH, the Association of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal, wishes to engage in consciousness-raising among our members and their congregants, constituents and students that one has recourse regarding the professionals in our lives, include the clergy in our lives, and also the professionals who treat us when we are ill and who teach and guide and counsel us and our children.
To this end, we have declared 2009 (5769) “THE YEAR OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS.” We invite you to share the information in this brief article in your newsletter, on your website and/or as a handout available to those who visit your community or institution.
We invite you to schedule a workshop in your community to better educate yourselves in the professional boundaries extant in the state, region or nation where you live concerning medical treatment, education and the practice of your faith. Learn about the offices and agencies available to respond to questions and receive complaints and concerns. Find ways to make this information available to your constituents both now and in the future.
Like many rabbinic associations and other associations of professionals, OHALAH’s governing policies are available to the public. OHALAH policies are on our website at www.ohalah.org/guidelinesohalah.htm, including our policy regarding membership standards and our clergy code regarding sexual and financial ethics.
May the professional standards that affect our lives be stepping-stones to a safer and more equitable future for all.
Keyn yehi ratzon. So may it be.
2008 OHALAH Board Statement Regarding Votes Rights in the United StatesWe urge the federal government and all state governments in the United States of America to be impeccable in ensuring that all registered voters are allowed to vote on November 4, 2008, to reverse any and all improper purging of voters from the voting roles, and any and all improper addition of voters to the voting roles, whether inadvertent or otherwise, and to prosecute all those found to be engaging in vote caging and other activities that would intimidate or otherwise thwart or prevent voters from exercising their right to vote.
“As a rabbinical association, we feel strongly that every voice must be heard in the upcoming election. This is a matter of tikkun olam, the repair of the world,” says OHALAH President, Rabbi Yocheved Mintz, citing the Jewish idea that every human being plays a role in creating a more just and peaceful world.
We have been advised that Democratic and Republican Party officials have raised concerns about improper activity that each party alleges have been committed by supporters of the other party, including: •Improper addition of voters to the voting rolls, •Improper removal of qualified voters from the voting rolls, •“Vote caging,” by which a political party entraps voters into circumstances that the party then uses to challenge voting status on Election Day, •Disseminating incorrect information, such as informing voters that they can be arrested at their polling place if their mortgage payments are in arrears or if they have outstanding parking tickets, and •Other forms of intimidation and thwarting or preventing qualified voters from exercising their right to vote.