An Exemption Fairfax Earned
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In the June 23 front-page article "Voting Rights Act Upheld, but Court Hints at Change," The Post's Robert Barnes wrote that "only 17 subdivisions of the 12,000 covered by the act -- all of them in Virginia, including Fairfax City -- have 'bailed out' of Section 5's restrictive provisions."
This phrasing did not do justice to jurisdictions that have been relieved of certain Voting Rights Act requirements. In October 1997, the city of Fairfax, after having demonstrated a history of fair and impartial elections over an extended period, became the first jurisdiction in the country to be relieved of Voting Rights Act pre-clearance requirements under standards adopted in 1982.
In no way do we see this as bailing out. Rather, it's a reflection of our history of fair and impartial elections -- a distinction that few have attained. As we said at the time, "The city's impeccable record of providing and expanding voting access to all residents has earned it the right to forgo burdensome reporting requirements."
-- John Mason
Fairfax
The writer was mayor of the City of Fairfax from 1990 to 2002.
