Actions, Democracy

We're in a new year and seeing brand-new momentum to fight racist voting restrictions that have been spurred on by partisan state legislatures. Just this week, House leadership combined two critical pieces of federal voting rights legislation into a single powerhouse bill we can all get behind. It's through the house and right now, we're looking at a moonshot chance to fight for the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act in the Senate. 

In 2021, over 400 voter suppression bills were introduced in state legislatures across the country, aimed at preventing young voters, low-income voters, and voters of color from making their voices heard. And, as lawmakers and officials begin the process of drawing new state and federal districts, bad actors are already working to undermine the process, redrawing districts to give their political party an unfair advantage.

Democracy is connected to many important issues young people care about. If we are ever going to see progress on better healthcare, affordable education, solutions to the climate crisis, and more, we must have a democracy that represents the will of the people. We must protect our elections.

We urge Congress and the Biden-Harris administration to lead a transformative push to strengthen and protect our democracy. We need the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. 

The bill, a combined version of the Freedom to Vote and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Acts, includes multiple policy solutions to build a stronger democracy that will more fairly represent all people, including marginalized communities that often have been kept from realizing the American dream.

This bill would:

• increase fair access to the ballot box, making it easier to vote;
• end the dominance of big money in politics; 
• ban partisan gerrymandering, ensuring that every vote is equal; and
• ensure voting rules that could discriminate against voters pass a federal review before it can be implemented. 

The fact is that we can't out-organize voter suppression. Our democracy is in danger, and it's up to Congress and the Biden-Harris administration to protect it. If we want to keep our elections free and fair, we need swift action on the part of the federal government. They must do everything in their power to protect the freedom to vote. 

The House has already acted by passing this bill, now we need the Senate to deliver the Freedom to Vote Act: John R. Lewis Act to President Biden's desk!