The fight to protect the right to vote has never been more critical. This week, Congresswoman Terri Sewell introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would restore and modernize the full protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that were gutted by the Supreme Court a decade ago.
The bill would require jurisdictions with histories of racial discrimination to get preclearance from the federal government before changing their election laws or procedures.
Voting Rights
A century ago, a young John Lewis was one of thousands who marched, bled, and even died in the struggle for the right to vote. Earlier this year, the House passed a bill named after him that would restore many of the protections rolled back by the Supreme Court in 2013. The new bill, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, aims to expand the list of changes that require preclearance and give voters of color greater legal tools to fight discriminatory voting laws and policies.
This legislation, along with the For The People Act, is vital to countering the unprecedented wave of voter suppression laws advancing across the country. These laws include restrictive voter ID requirements, unjust voter purges, and efforts to close polling places in communities of color.
The League of Women Voters believes that fair elections are a fundamental prerequisite to our democracy. It’s why we have long supported this legislation. It provides federal protections for voting rights, including automatic and same-day registration, prohibiting discriminatory ballot purges, and requiring states to provide language assistance to all voters. It also includes much-needed restoration of voting rights for citizens with past criminal convictions and updates provisions for ensuring electoral transparency and integrity.
Congress must pass this bill to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to participate in our democracy and that the voice of every American is heard. We urge our members to heed the call from Congressman Lewis and support this crucial legislation.
Voter Turnout
Voting is fundamental to democracy because it determines how much resources are devoted to local schools, whether the city is fixing potholes, and whether you have access to health care or job security. People who make these decisions are voted into office at the local, state, and federal levels of government. Unfortunately, a legacy of overt and covert discriminatory voting restrictions has resulted in many Americans – especially people of color, young people, low-income people, the elderly, the disabled, and transgender people – being disenfranchised from exercising their most fundamental civil rights.
In the decade since the Supreme Court gutted Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, States and localities have brazenly pushed forward a wave of laws restricting voting rights and access. These include changing district boundaries to disadvantage voters, instituting onerous voter ID requirements, and moving polling places. These efforts depress voter turnout and disproportionately affect communities of color.
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act restores the purpose of Section 2 and improves it by:
Requiring States and municipalities with a history of voting rights violations to get approval from the Federal government before making changes to their election processes, establishing 25 years for determining which jurisdictions need preclearance, and updating the standard for obtaining a preliminary injunction against a new or amended electoral process.
Electoral College
The Electoral College is essential to protecting democracy. It prevents presidential candidates from focusing solely on large cities and dense media markets, encouraging them to seek support nationwide. It addresses the Founders’ fears of a “tyranny of the majority.” It also ensures that small states have a voice, preventing them from being completely ignored by a president who doesn’t care about their needs and values.
Voting rights are a civil right; it is a crime to take away anyone’s right to vote. Sadly, since the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, there has been a wave of new voter suppression laws that have made it harder for Americans to exercise their fundamental constitutional right to vote. These include strict voter ID requirements, racial profiling, and purges from voting rolls.
Congresswoman Sewell’s bill, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, would restore and update the full protections of the Voting Rights Act by requiring states with a history of discrimination to get approval from the federal government before making changes to their election laws. It also restores Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. This powerful provision requires covered jurisdictions to get permission from the Justice Department or a federal court before implementing any change that could disproportionally impact communities of color.
Native American Voting
Despite a long history of being denied their right to vote and the fact that they are credited with helping close races for Democrats in recent years, Native Americans are frequently left out of conversations about voting rights. This group mustn’t be overlooked as efforts to pass the John Lewis Voting Advancement Act move forward.
While much work still needs to be done, there is encouraging progress. Some high-profile Democratic members have introduced legislation to protect Indigenous voters, including the Frank Harrison and Elizabeth Peratrovich Native American Voting Rights Act. This bill would allow tribal leaders to determine the location of polling sites and drop boxes, ensure the acceptance of tribal ID as voter identification, and provide additional protections against wrongful voter purges.
Other barriers persist, including the need for more reliable mail service, bans on ballot collection and conveyance, and a reluctance to submit to local government authorities. These challenges are compounded by geographic isolation, lack of standardized street names or addresses, and a high rate of poverty.
Moreover, new obstacles have emerged since the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County struck down the requirement that states with a history of discriminatory voting laws receive preclearance before changing their practices. These include changes to election procedures that prevent eligible voters from casting a ballot, redistricting that disadvantages certain communities, and burdens on registration, voting by mail, and in-person voting.
