Councilman Joshua B. Butler IV, East Point City Councilman, Ward D, at-large, used his public comment time at the Aug. 6 meeting to mark the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and to urge residents to register to vote.

Butler said the Voting Rights Act was pivotal to ensuring voting access for African Americans and warned the law has faced continued legal and political challenges. He noted efforts in other states to redraw maps in ways he described as targeting Black representation. Butler said the stakes extend to how elected officials decide taxes and spending.

"I like to say that African Americans defeated the most powerful army in human history without shooting 1 bullet, but through their civil disobedience," Butler said, invoking the civil rights movement. He said he would not be in his position without the Voting Rights Act and credited the law with making Barack Obama's election possible.

Butler called on residents to register and vote immediately. "I'm asking that everybody register to vote today and vote because I don't care if you're a billionaire like Elon Musk or you just have a billion pennies. It's the thing that makes us equal," he said.

The comments occurred during the public-comment portion of the meeting and did not involve any formal council action. No motions or votes related to Butler's remarks were recorded on the meeting agenda.