Support The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
This year marks the 56th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a landmark civil rights law that fundamentally changed voting rights in our country by banning discriminatory practices, such as literacy tests at the polls and providing additional enforcement measures in areas of the country where there was voter discrimination. But today, we see history repeating itself as states pass voter suppression laws that restrict access to voting, increase voter ID laws, decrease polling place availability, and make absentee voting difficult.
John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act restores the original, bipartisan Voting Rights Act of 1965 to full protection, which was last reauthorized by Congress in 2006, but gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013. The act addresses current conditions in voting by restoring the full protections of the original law from 1965. To accomplish this, the bill establishes a targeted process for reviewing voting changes in jurisdictions nationwide, focusing on measures that historically have been used to discriminate against voters.
To ensure that all Americans have equal access to the ballot box, Congress needs to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act alongside the For the People Act.
