Democracy Reform: The John Lewis Voting Rights Act

Over the past two years alone, we’ve seen Republicans at every level of government, from state to federal officials, aggressively suppress the vote in communities of color. Twelve-hour long lines, poll closures, voter purges, and oppressive voter ID laws have all become the norm as Republicans attempt to further consolidate their political power in the face of an increasingly diverse, liberal electorate.

That’s why we need bold, progressive democracy reform to create a functional democracy in which everyone is included and represented.

H.R. 4, The John Lewis Voting Rights Act, alongside the H.R. 1, the For the People Act and H.R. 51, the D.C. statehood bill, are the cornerstones of the necessary reforms we need to unrig our democracy and make it work for all.

H.R. 4, which is named after the late congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis, a man who risked his life for the right to vote, would re-establish the preclearance requirements that were thrown out in Shelby County, among other voter protections. It would also require preclearance on a nationwide scale for practices that disproportionately affect communities of color such as:

Changing election practices in diverse areas
Changing documents required to vote or to register to vote
Reducing access based on language
Reducing polling locations in diverse areas

If turned into law, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act would be a crucial protection against racist voter suppression tactics while strengthening our electoral system as a whole.

Keep reading to learn more…

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