Tell Congress to Protect Our Right to Vote

Named in honor of the late Georgia congressman and iconic civil rights leader, The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore the full protections of the original Voting Rights Act of 1965 by modernizing federal review of changes to local or state elections and establishing federal authority to prevent discriminatory voting practices. This bill:

• Updates criteria for federal overview of state and local voting laws;

• Provides the Attorney General with authority to place federal observers where there is a serious threat of racial discrimination in voting;

• Requires reasonable public notice of changes in voting laws and procedures; and

• Includes the Native American Voting Rights Act, which increases accessibility and protections for Native American and Alaska Native voters.

Last year, Congress introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, but the bills ultimately did not pass. We are urging Congress to reintroduce this important legislation and support passage this Congress. 

Read the bill text on Congress.gov here.

Read more about the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act here and consequences of the Supreme Court stripped the original VRA here. 

The Freedom to Vote Act (S.2747), introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar, would expand opportunities for all Americans to cast their ballots. Key provisions will:

• Make Election Day a legal public holiday, making it easier for voters to get to the polls;

• Require all 50 states to offer early voting periods for at least two weeks prior to Election Day;

• Permit vote by mail for every eligible voter;

• Address some of the biggest challenges to voting access that Americans with disabilities face, particularly regarding access to absentee ballots and registration applications; and

• Promote a national standard for states that have an ID requirement for in-person voting, allowing for the use of a wide range of forms of identification and alternative options for voter validation. States that do not impose an identification requirement would not be required to have one.

Other provisions of the bill:

• Take direct action to respond to overt voter suppression that blocks Americans’ access to the vote;

• Provide critical safeguards to end extreme partisan gerrymandering in congressional redistricting;

• Modernize our voter registration system;

• Take crucial steps to overhaul our nation’s campaign finance system;

• Include improvements to election security and measures to prevent subversion of the electoral process; and

• Prevent election sabotage via ballot tampering, political removal of election officials, or failure to certify election results.

Last year, Congress introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, but the bills ultimately did not pass. After the family of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called on all Americans to dedicate their MLK Day to advocating for voting rights, we are joining efforts to urge ongress to reintroduce this important legislation and support passage this Congress. 

Read the bill text on Congress.gov here.

Read more about the Freedom to Vote Act here.

Learn more about the call by the family of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to continue to push for voting rights on MLK Day.