Statement from America Votes Leadership on Passage of John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4). The bill establishes mechanisms for the federal government to oversee elections and effectively restores provisions in Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act by requiring states and jurisdictions with a proven history of discriminatory voting practices to obtain certification before making changes to election procedures to ensure that the proposed changes are not discriminatory. These protections, which would help protect against discriminatory voting rights legislation being passed in states,  were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. As the coordination hub of the progressive community working to protect every American’s right to vote,  the America Votes Senior Leadership Team released the following statement in response to the reintroduction of H.R. 4:

“We’re highly encouraged by the House passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Congressman John Lewis, the namesake for this piece of legislation, was a civil rights icon who dedicated his life and career to fighting to ensure that every American had access to our democracy. As can be seen by the deluge of Republican-backed laws that seek to block certain Americans from voting that are sweeping across the country, the notion of everyone having equal access to the ballot box is even further from reality.

Make no mistake, we will be working hard as organizers to effectively combat voter suppression in 2022 and beyond. But we cannot simply “out-organize” conservatives when they use their power to attack our democracy via tactics like extreme gerrymandering, voter intimidation, and election nullification. Today’s passing of H.R. 4 is a big step in the right direction, and we look forward to further congressional action to protect our democracy and the fundamental right to vote. At a time when our democracy is on the brink of collapse, we will be working with the progressive community to push our lawmakers to fight for voting rights and protect American democracy.”

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The America Votes Senior Leadership Team is comprised of: Greg Speed, President; Sara Schreiber, Executive Director; Tanya Brown, Chief of Staff; Daria Dawson, Political Director; Daniel Gonzales, Director of Planning and Program Analysis; Evan Kost, Director of Development and Investment Relations; Shabab Siddiqui, Director of Data and Targeting; and Josiette White, Field Director.

America Votes is the central coordination hub of the progressive community both nationally and in more than 20 states across the country, working with more than 400 state and national partner organizations to advance progressive policies, win elections and protect every American’s right to vote. Visit www.americavotes.org for more information.