CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE ACTS TO PROTECT VOTERS’ ACCESS TO THE BALLOT BOX

(Rochester, N.Y.) — Today, Congressman Joe Morelle announced he has taken additional action to strengthen voting rights and combat voter discrimination by co-sponsoring the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. On Tuesday, Rep. Morelle joined with other House Democratic leaders to announce the reintroduction of this legislation, which Rep. Morelle co-sponsored and voted to pass in the House in 2021.

“The right to vote is the bedrock of our American democracy, and it is under threat. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, together with the Freedom to Vote Act, will restore those protections, strengthen our democracy, and ensure every eligible voter has the equal opportunity to make their voice heard,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “As the Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration—and inspired by the legacies of two passionate and inspiring voting rights advocates from Rochester, Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony—I’m proud to continue leading the fight to safeguard everyone’s fundamental right to vote. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation into law and help bring America closer to its foundational promise.”

In recent years the Supreme Court has gutted some of the primary achievements enacted by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, paving the way for states to enact sweeping voter suppression laws that disproportionately impact underserved communities.

These tactics include restrictions on the types of identifications voters can use to register and vote, unfairly purging voters from election rolls, moving polling locations, and more. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act takes action to combat these discriminatory practices and protect the fundamental right of every American to vote.

Specifically, the bill:

• Establishes a targeted process for reviewing voting changes in jurisdictions nationwide, focusing on measures that have historically been used to discriminate against voters;
• Increases transparency by requiring reasonable public notice for voting changes;
• Gives the Attorney General authority to request the presence of federal observers anywhere in the country where there is a serious threat of racial discrimination in voting;
• Creates a new coverage formula that hinges on a finding of repeated voting rights violations in the preceding 25 years;
• Strengthens Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which protects the ability to challenge discriminatory voting practices.

To learn more, read the full text of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act here.

Watch Congressman Morelle’s full remarks from Tuesday’s press conference here.

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