Press Releases

STAND UP AMERICA CELEBRATES GOVERNOR WALZ SIGNING MINNESOTA VOTING RIGHTS ACT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MAY 20, 2024

PRESS CONTACT:
Sarah Harris, [email protected] 

ST PAUL — On Friday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed the Minnesota Voting Rights Act (MNVRA) into law, making Minnesota the seventh state to pass a comprehensive voting rights act to combat racial discrimination in voting since 2018. 

This session, Stand Up America worked alongside the We Choose Us coalition to advocate for this legislation. Stand Up America members in Minnesota drove hundreds of calls and emails to their state representatives in support of the Minnesota Voting Rights Act.

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

“The North Star state continues to live up to its name by showing the country how to protect democracy. Since the start of Minnesota’s Democratic trifecta, state leaders have passed legislation to expand the right to vote, prevent voter suppression, and stop efforts to dilute the voices of voters of color.

“With the 2024 election rapidly approaching, Stand Up America encourages other states to follow Minnesota’s lead. We applaud Minnesota legislators for prioritizing this legislation and thank Governor Walz for swiftly signing this bill into law.”

By codifying voting protections into state law, the MNVRA will protect voting rights and access to the ballot box for every Minnesotan, especially in communities of color and other historically disenfranchised groups. The Minnesota Voting Rights Act will:

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

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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.

Website: StandUpAmerica.com
Twitter: @StandUpAmerica
Instagram: @StandUp_America
Facebook: @StandUpAmerica