In 2013, our Supreme Court invalidated the preclearance provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that protected eligible voters from discriminatory voting laws, claiming there is no longer a need for the protections of this provision. Quickly proving the Court wrong, states immediately began passing restrictive voter laws that had been illegal before the Court’s ruling - efforts which have dramatically increased since the 2020 election. As of February 2021, at least 253 bills across 43 states have been proposed or enacted into law which restrict the registration of voters, the time available to cast a ballot, the type of identification needed to do so, and how votes are tabulated. These laws have made it significantly more difficult for students, minorities, elderly citizens, those with disabilities and those who live in metropolitan areas to exercise their most basic constitutional right. Without presenting any evidence, the governors and legislators of these states claim these laws were passed to prevent voter fraud and protect election integrity.

Extensive studies have shown that voter fraud does not exist. That is, unless one considers 31 fraudulent votes out of the one billion ballots cast between 2000 and 2005 to be enough justification for voter suppression laws that deny many millions the vote. Critics claim the purpose of these laws is to suppress and discourage democrats and minorities from voting. Minorities typically wait about twice as long to vote as their peers, and sometimes much longer. Advocates say generations of Americans have fought and died for our right to vote, the freedom to choose our leaders and the right to speak up for our beliefs. They claim these undemocratic voter suppression laws are an anathema to our Founding Father’s legacy, saying our efforts should be spent helping Americans vote, not obstructing those who are eligible from doing so.

Pending Legislation: H.R.14 - John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2023
Sponsor: Rep. Terri Sewell (AL)
Status: House Committee on the Judiciary
Chair: Rep. Jim Jordan (OH)