Passing Federal Voting Rights Legislation

THE PROBLEM

Since our country’s inception, far too many Americans have been discriminated against and disenfranchised at the ballot box. Unfortunately, voter suppression isn’t getting better—it’s escalating.

The historic voter turnout in the 2020 presidential election further catalyzed a Republican-led campaign to suppress the vote. President Biden won states like Arizona and Georgia by razor-thin margins. In direct response, GOP state officials enacted at least 34 laws in 19 states that make it harder for everyday people to participate in our democracy.

In addition to being fueled by Trump’s Big Lie, a devastating 2013 Supreme Court decision gutted the original 1965 Voting Rights Act—one of the crowning achievements of the Civil Rights Movement—opening the door to antivoter policies all across the country. Since then, we’ve seen early voting days cut, thousands of polling places closed, and millions purged from the voter rolls in an intentional effort to stop Black and brown Americans from exercising their right to vote. 

THE SOLUTION

To build a democracy that works for all Americans and stop this voter suppression in its tracks, we must pass federal voting rights legislation. Together, the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would roll back voter suppression and help ensure every American has the access they need to cast their ballot. 

The Freedom to Vote Act would create national voting standards and reverse many of the suppressive laws passed by GOP lawmakers. It would require common sense provisions like  automatic, same-day, and online voter registration in every state and access to early and mail-in voting. And it would stop the extreme partisan gerrymandering that lets politicians pick their voters instead of the other way around. 

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would stop future voter suppression bills being enacted. It would once again give the Department of Justice the power to block states from indiscriminately purging voters, closing polling places in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods, implementing stringent voter ID laws with a discriminatory impact, or creating new political districts that dilute the voting power of people of color. 

THE PATH TO WINNING

Throughout 2021, the GOP Senate minority abused the filibuster to block both of these bills from passing. Most recently, Senators Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema sided with Senate Republicans and voted to protect the filibuster rather than our voting rights. 

We need true democracy champions in the House, the Senate, and our state capitols who will fight for us. As the 2022 midterms approach, we’re coming together to elect these champions up and down the ballot. 

Help us move to the next phase and elect leaders who will prioritize our democracy. Sign up to commit to helping elect more people to office who are willing to put our freedom to vote ahead of the Jim Crow filibuster: