TELL CONGRESS: PROTECT OUR VOTING RIGHTS

This week marks the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), which prohibited racial discrimination in voting and is considered one of the most important civil rights laws in US history. 

But ever since the 2013 US Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder opened the door for states to enact restrictive voting legislation, there’s been a steady increase in the number of voting suppression laws that disproportionately impact turnout among Black and brown Americans, disabled Americans, young adults, and the elderly. The VRA has been weakened, and we are losing ground many believed had been solidly won.  

That’s why we are joining the League of Women Voters of the US and Leagues across the country to urge our federal lawmakers to support the reintroduction of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (JLVRAA), vital legislation that is needed to fully restore, strengthen,  and modernize the VRA to ensure that all eligible voters can cast a ballot and have their vote counted.

The JLVRAA would ensure that every voter–regardless of where they live, what they look like, or what language they speak–has equal access to the ballot box and is protected from unfair laws and practices that make it harder for eligible Americans to vote. 

It would strengthen voting rights by expanding and strengthening the government's ability to respond to voting discrimination by:

• Modernizing the VRA’s formula determining which states and localities have a pattern of discrimination, using info updated from the last 25 years
• Making it easier for the Justice Department and federal courts to stop bad voting laws before they do damage 
• Expanding who can challenge unfair voting laws to make it easier for regular citizens to take action in court
• Requiring advance public notice for voters when voting rules, locations, or schedules changes to minimize confusion

Voting is a fundamental right, and all Americans deserve an equal opportunity to make their voices heard in our democracy. 

Act now to tell Senators Husted and Moreno and our US congressional representatives that equality — and our democracy — cannot wait. They must support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to help our country get closer to the promise of a democracy that works for us all.