Press Releases

MINNESOTA HOUSE PASSES CRITICAL VOTING RIGHTS LEGISLATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
April 9, 2024

PRESS CONTACT:
Sarah Harris, [email protected]

Bill expands voting rights ahead of competitive 2024 presidential election in North Star state 

SAINT PAUL — Last night, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Minnesota Voting Rights Act (MVRA) as part of an omnibus elections package. The MVRA would expand voting rights and access to the ballot ahead of a competitive 2024 presidential election. The bill will be voted on in the Senate in the coming weeks. 

This session, Stand Up America has supported the legislation alongside the We Choose Us coalition and NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Since 2023, Stand Up America’s Minnesota members have driven more than 1,800 constituent calls and emails to lawmakers and texted more than 200,000 voters to help pass voting rights measures in the state. Our Minnesota members will continue to call and email their lawmakers to ensure the MVRA becomes law. 

Stand Up America’s Managing Director of Policy & Political Affairs, Brett Edkins, released the following statement after the passage:

“Minnesota has been leading the charge to protect democracy and the freedom to vote. Today, the Minnesota House has once again answered Minnesotans’ call to protect voting rights, even when the federal government and Supreme Court won’t.

“By continuing to break down barriers to the ballot box and to fair representation for all, Minnesota will stand as a national model for returning political power to the hands of everyday citizens. As we approach November’s crucial presidential election, Stand Up America is proud to support We Choose Us and local partners as we continue this effort in the state Senate and send the Minnesota Voting Rights Act to the Governor’s desk.”

Provisions of the legislation include: 

  • Instructing state judges to interpret election laws in a pro-voter way whenever reasonably possible
  • Restoring citizens’ and civil rights groups’ ability to challenge discriminatory voting policies/practices in court
  • Requiring good-faith negotiations to give local jurisdictions the opportunity to fix voting discrimination efficiently
  • Protections against “vote dilution”

About Stand Up America
Stand Up America is a progressive advocacy organization with nearly two million community members across the country. Focused on grassroots advocacy to stand up to corruption and voter suppression and build a more representative democracy, Stand Up America has driven over 1.7 million calls to lawmakers, registered over 100,000 voters, mobilized thousands of protestors, and contacted tens of millions of voters. Last year, Stand Up America partnered with the We Choose Us coalition to advocate for passage of the Democracy for the People Act.

Website: StandUpAmerica.com
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