WASHINGTON — Today, Robert Brandon, President & CEO of Fair Elections Center, issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act:
“The House’s passage of this bill is a crucial step to protecting American democracy, which continues to remain under growing threat. The provisions of this bill will reinstate essential protections of the Voting Rights Act, restoring the federal government’s ability to review and block racially-discriminatory voting restrictions at the state and local level. The need for this federal intervention has never been more critical. This year, states have introduced over 400 bills and passed 30 laws that restrict voting for millions of Americans, particularly marginalized communities that include voters of color and voters with disabilities.
“The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act can provide our nation with baseline protections for voting rights that will help millions of voters more easily understand and participate in America’s electoral process. Our U.S. Senators must now take action that is proportionate to the seriousness of the ongoing threats to our democracy by passing this legislation into law by any means necessary.”
