Tell Congress: Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

Hidden

The Supreme Court disastrously undermined the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder in 2013, opening the door for states and counties to enact restrictive voting laws and policies.

The result? The racial turnout gap — the difference in voter participation between white voters and voters of color — grew twice as fast in places formerly protected by a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act as in the rest of the country.

This cost hundreds of thousands of votes from voters of color in the last federal election alone. Without action, our democracy will suffer.

Americans of color deserve the same access to the ballot box as white Americans. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act would protect voters from discrimination and strengthen our democracy. Congress must restore the Voting Rights Act now.

Form Label Field

Your Message

Enter your information and we will look up your legislators.

Subject

Dear Congressional Leader,

Message

The turnout gap between white voters and voters of color is growing. New research shows that the gap has widened almost twice as much in states formerly covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which the Supreme Court gutted in Shelby County v. Holder a decade ago. The Court’s disastrous decision unleashed a wave of racially discriminatory voting laws and policies that deterred hundreds of thousands of voters of color in the last general election.

Americans of color deserve the same access to the ballot box as white Americans. But what’s left of the Voting Rights Act is not enough to defend the freedom to vote. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would protect voters from discrimination and strengthen our democracy.

This bill is widely popular among Democrats and Republicans across the country, and the original VRA was praised by Republican and Democratic presidents alike, from Johnson to Reagan to George W. Bush.

As your constituent, I’m asking you to protect the freedom to vote by passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. The American people support it, and we expect action.

[First Name] [Last Name]

Your Information

Salutation *

Alternate Salutation

Most elected officials’ constituent email systems accept a very limited set of salutations. Please select the one you would most prefer.

First name *

Last name *

E-mail address *

Address *

Zip Code *

City *

State *

Phone *

By checking this box, I agree to receive periodic email updates from the Brennan Center.