John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would strengthen protections against potentially discriminatory voting practices
Legislation comes amid Texas Republicans’ effort to gerrymander U.S. congressional districts in the next election
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet recently joined 45 of their Senate colleagues to reintroduce legislation to restore the landmark Voting Rights Act (VRA) and stop the spread of voter suppression. The bill – the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act – is named for the late Congressman and Civil Rights icon, John Lewis.
The bill comes amid Texas Republicans’ effort to gerrymander U.S. congressional districts in the next election. In addition, the Supreme Court announced last week that it will consider the interpretation of the landmark Voting Rights Act by calling into question the legality of majority-minority districts.
“The freedom to vote is a fundamental right. That’s what John Lewis fought for. Our bill continues that fight to make sure every vote counts, free from outside political influence,” said Hickenlooper. “The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is a critical safeguard for our elections and our democracy.”
“For 60 years, the Voting Rights Act has been foundational to protecting Americans’ access to the ballot box,” said Bennet. “As voting rights continue to come under attack, I will keep fighting to ensure all Americans can exercise their right to vote and take part in our democracy. Our future depends on it.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s damaging Shelby County v. Holder decision in 2013 – which crippled the federal government’s ability under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to prevent discriminatory changes to voting laws and procedures – states across the country have unleashed a torrent of voter suppression schemes that have systematically disenfranchised tens of thousands of American voters. The Supreme Court’s Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee decision in 2021 delivered yet another blow to the Voting Rights Act, by making it significantly harder for plaintiffs to win lawsuits under the landmark law against discriminatory voting laws or procedures.
The bill would strengthen our democracy by re-establishing preclearance for jurisdictions with a pattern of voting rights violations, protecting minority communities subject to discriminatory voting practices and defending election workers from threats and intimidation. The preclearance process would require states with a history of discriminatory voting practices to submit any changes to their election laws, policies, or electoral maps to the federal government for review prior to implementation.
Hickenlooper and Bennet have continuously fought to strengthen voter access and protections. In 2021 and 2024, Hickenlooper and Bennet joined their Democratic colleagues in introducing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. In July 2023, Hickenlooper, Bennet, and all of their Democratic Senate colleagues introduced the Freedom to Vote Act to improve Americans’ access to the ballot, invest in state election infrastructure, strengthen campaign finance disclosure requirements, and ensure our elections are free from interference.
Full text of the bill is available HERE.
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