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Freedom to Vote Act Protects Black Americans from Jim Crow Voting Laws
The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act would restore the fundamental promise of America—the freedom to vote.
How?
The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act creates national standards for how states manage elections in order to safeguard every American citizen’s vote, especially people of color who have been largely affected.
The Freedom to Vote Act is securing the right to vote for Americans of color by:
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Banning partisan gerrymandering and ensuring fair districts
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Protecting voters from intimidation, harassment and criminalization
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Restoring voting rights to formerly incarcerated people
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Prohibiting witness and notary requirements for vote by mail
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Restricting efforts to challenge eligible voters
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Preventing states from purging eligible voters from the rolls
Who supports the Freedom to Vote Act?
The essential provisions of this historic bill are overwhelmingly supported by millions of Americans from all walks of life. In fact, 70% of Americans support the bill, both Democrats and Republicans.
Why?
The Freedom to Vote Act is our best shot at ensuring all American citizens have the opportunity to vote and that all votes are counted fairly.
Latest
Unfortunately, the Freedom to Vote Act was blocked in the Senate with the filibuster.
The Freedom to Vote Act could have passed with a filibuster carve-out, but 52 Senators voted against this reform that would have required an open debate on every bill. The Senate's failure to reform the filibuster allowed Republicans to prevent a final vote on the Freedom to Vote Act, which would have passed with every Democratic Senator's support.
Now, overcoming barriers to exercising the freedom to vote will be a burden of local organizers and state legislators, many of whom have already begun to ramp up their efforts in response to the Freedom to Vote Act's defeat in the Senate.