AFGE voices support for a new piece of legislation that would prevent states with a history of voter discrimination from enacting new laws that would suppress the vote.
Named in honor of the late Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon and member of Congress, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Dick Durbin and Raphael Warnock. The bill is needed because there have been efforts to erode voting rights since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a landmark law that removed race-based restrictions on voting such as literacy tests and poll taxes.
In 2013, for example, the Supreme Court struck down an important provision in the law –Section 4 – that provided a formula for the federal government to identify certain areas with a history of racial discrimination in voting, mostly the South. Those jurisdictions, under Section 5, were required to pre-clear changes to the election process with the Justice Department or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress exceeded its authority and infringed on the rights of the states when it reauthorized the Voting Rights Act in 2006 with the same formula. Section 5 remains intact but unenforceable without a new Section 4 formula. As a result of this decision, several states passed laws that reduce early voting periods and require stricter ID checks, among other measures.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, at least 356 restrictive bills were introduced in 47 states in 2023. They ultimately passed at least 17 restrictive laws in 14 states.
“Over the last few years, states have considered and enacted laws making the right to vote harder to exercise, especially for communities of color,” said a Dear Colleague letter that AFGE signed on. “A toxic political culture and a lack of legal protections are enabling efforts to wear voters down and intimidate them into surrendering their vote….The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would ensure all have a voice in their democracy.”
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would establish new preclearance formulas for areas with a history of racial discrimination in voting. It would require states to announce all voting changes at least 180 days before an election to make sure voters are not adversely affected by last-minute changes. It would also give the federal government authority to send observers to places where there may be a substantial risk of voter discrimination at the polls.
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