Voting Rights

Voting Rights Advancement Act

Anti-Discrimination Laws

Voter ID

Voter suppression is real

We support the Voting Rights Advancement Act.

The landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned discriminatory practices—like literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation, threats, and violence—and extended voting protections to millions of racial, ethnic, and language minority citizens.

In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in its Shelby County v. Holder ruling.

Twenty-five states have imposed new restrictions ranging from strict photo ID requirements to early voting cutbacks to making it harder to register to vote, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

The Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 would require states and localities with a history of voter discrimination to get approval from the U.S. Department of Justice before changing their election laws.

As efforts to suppress the vote continue—for example, through measures to deter student voting or limit absentee ballots—the need for protections persists.

Take Action!

Support strong public schools by taking these actions today.

We need democracy reform NOW

The For the People Act (S. 1/H.R. 1), the most comprehensive democracy reform bill in decades, rests on three pillars: reaffirming and expanding voting rights, strengthening oversight to end big money in politics, and ensuring an ethical government. Measures to achieve these goals include automatic voter registration, voluntary public financing of campaigns, placing new limits on partisan practices like gerrymandering and purging voter rolls, and requiring candidates for president and vice president to release their tax returns for the previous 10 years. The bill also makes a strong argument for the District of Columbia becoming a state.

Email your senators and tell them to support the For the People Act.

Bills in Congress

S 1

The act would take several steps to counter attempts by many states to make voting more difficult and depress the vote of people of color, people with disabilities, senior citizens, and students.

HR 1

A bill to expand Americans’ access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures for the purpose of fortifying our democracy, and for other purposes.

HR 6807

A bill to expand voting by mail, early voting, and improve the safety, accessibility, and efficiency of in-person voting during elections for federal office.