Let’s Talk About the John Lewis Voting Rights Act
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is a critical piece of proposed legislation designed to restore and safeguard every American’s most fundamental right: the right to vote. First introduced in the Senate by Patrick Leahy (D-VT) following Rep. Lewis’s passing, it’s been reintroduced several times, most recently by House Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL) in March of this year to mark the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
The brutality of Bloody Sunday — when protesters marching in opposition to Jim Crow voter suppression were ruthlessly beaten by police officers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge — shocked the nation, spurring the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Among those injured were John Lewis, Amelia Boynton, and Lynda Blackmon Lowery.
The passage of the Voting Rights Act was monumental, but those protections have since been weakened.
Why is this Act Needed?
In 2013, the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder struck down the heart of the Voting Rights Act of 1965—specifically, Section 4(b), a “preclearance” provision of the Act that was designed to prevent discrimination against minority voters in areas with known histories of racial discrimination. That preclearance tool was a safety net, preventing discriminatory rules from ever taking root. As soon as that protection was eliminated, Republicans began passing dirty state laws aimed at restricting voter rights.
Examples include—
strict voter ID laws
shuttering polling places in minority districts
purging voter rolls using partisan criteria
Those tactics disproportionately affected Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities. And, because they were so successful in suppressing those targeted minorities, they’ve supercharged their discriminatory efforts in the decades since.
What would passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act do?
The John Lewis Voting Rights Act would restore the preclearance provision, meaning states or jurisdictions with a record of discrimination would need to prove, once again, that any proposed changes to voting laws were free from bias. This legislative step is critical in the fight to end racial gerrymandering. The Act would also improve public transparency, requiring states to provide public notice of changes and allow appropriate time for public comment.
Why must we pass it?
The right to vote is not partisan. In fact, it’s the cornerstone of healthy democracies. When democratic election processes are safeguarded from the tampering of bad actors and partisan oppression, everyone wins. In the decades following the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Black Americans went from holding a handful of elected offices to holding thousands of seats, resulting in a government that better reflected the people it served…Therein lies the Grand Old Party’s source of pain!
The GOP has a problem they’re unable to solve fairly: Their regressive policies are unpopular within our increasingly diverse population. (Notably, a June KFF poll found that only 35% of Americans supported the Big Ugly Bill.) Americans love their freedom, and they don’t want to step back in time!
Here’s the truth: The greater the number of people who show up to vote, the harder it is for Republicans to win. The greater the percentage of minority voters who show up, the steeper that path grows. With White deaths outpacing births and Whites projected to become a minority class by 2045, Republicans are doomed – and they know it!
Desperate to retain power, the Republican Party has perfected a toxic recipe to diminish the voting power of minorities, young voters, and traditionally left-leaning Americans. That recipe’s ingredients include dishonest legislation, stacked courts, and radical gerrymandering.1
Passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is our generation’s answer to the ongoing struggle for equality at the ballot box. As John Lewis himself said, “The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy!”
The Road Ahead
Democrats are unified in their support of the John Lewis Voting Right Act. But let’s be realistic: Trump Republicans will never get behind this essential bill. If Americans want a future that includes free and fair elections under the law, Democrats must regain control of both federal chambers and grow their ranks at the state level!
As more Americans wake to the horrors of this administration and join opposition efforts, it’s absolutely imperative that we coalesce around voter rights by making the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act a vital goal in the coming election.
At a time when there’s so much to vote against, this is something freedom-loving Americans can enthusiastically vote for.
Call to Action
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Terrifyingly, Republicans have added anti-American attacks on birthright citizenship, threats of denaturalization, and the violent removal of immigrants to this list. While those horrors demand our attention and opposing action, they exceed the scope of this particular piece.