WASHINGTON, DC--Voters in Indiana earned a victory in their efforts to enjoy equal access to early voting sites today as Judge Lorenzo Arredando of the Lake County Circuit Court blocked Republicans' attempt to bar Gary, East Chicago and Hammond from hosting their own early voting sites--while early voting has already begun in Crown Point.

The lack of early voting sites in Gary/East Chicago/Hammond disproportionately affects African American and Latino voters.  Crown Point, whose population is 95 percent white, is 16, 18 and 25 miles away from the more diverse cities of Gary, Hammond and East Chicago, respectively. 

"I'm not aware of any bus that runs from Gary to Crown Point," said Roosevelt Phillips, a 38-year old African-American home healthcare aide and member of SEIU Healthcare Illinois/Indiana.  Because Mr. Phillips works on call, sometimes back-to-back shifts, top make ends meet, he is not sure he will be able to vote on Election Day.  "If early voting in Lake County has to be done in Crown Point, Indiana, my right to vote early is seriously burdened.  Crown Point is a 30- to 45-minute drive from my home, depending on the time of day.  I could not easily find a family member or friend to take me there; I would probably have to pay someone for a ride." 

Public transportation from East Chicago, Hammond or Gary to the much smaller Crown Point is extremely limited and inconvenient.

"Any move that disenfranchises select Lake County residents in Indiana or in any city in America is a disgrace to our democratic system," said Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union. "Our country is at a critical point in history and the stakes could not be higher for working families.  SEIU is committed to justice for all people and we are going to do everything we can to make sure that our members and their communities make their voices heard and their votes count in this election.  We will not let this election turn into Ohio in 2004 and Florida in 2000."

SEIU, the nation's fastest growing union, represents almost 5000 members in Indiana, more than half in Lake County.  SEIU filed intervention papers in a federal lawsuit to prevent the disenfranchisement of those members and their communities and has been working with community and labor allies--the Indiana State Conference of the NAACP Branches, United Steelworkers District 7, and the Hammond Federation of Teachers--to ensure that early voting will take place in Gary, East Chicago and Hammond. 

On September 23, the Lake County Board of Elections voted to establish satellite early voting sites in Gary, East Chicago and Hammond -- but late last week, on the eve of early voting, Republicans went to court to block those satellite locations from going into effect.  The lack of early voting satellite locations in Gary, East Chicago, and Hammond while early voting is presently taking place in Crown Point violates the Indiana Constitution's guarantee of free and equal elections as well as the Voting Rights Act.