Congressman Joe Morelle Acts to Protect Essential Voting Rights for All Americans

Press Release

Today, Congressman Joe Morelle took action to combat voter discrimination and strengthen voting rights by passing the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.

"The right to vote in free and fair elections is a fundamental tenant of our democracy, but it has come under attack for too many Americans--especially in underserved communities," said Congressman Joe Morelle. "We must do everything in our power to stop this calculated disenfranchisement, which is why I was proud to help pass this critical legislation. Together we will strengthen voting rights and ensure everyone who calls this nation home has the opportunity to make their voice heard."

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 stringent voter identification laws, unfairly purging voters from election rolls, moving polling locations, and more.

The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act sets national standards for voting, stops partisan gerrymandering, and corrects the Supreme Court's decision in Shelby County v. Holder.

The bill will:

-Expand automatic voter registration and same-day registration
-Set a national standard for no-excuse vote by mail for every eligible voter
-Protect against unlawful and faulty voter purges, while allowing states to accurately maintain their voter registration lists
-Expand early voting
-Enhance protections individuals with disabilities
-Make Election Day as a national holiday
-Prevent partisan election subversion by restricting the politicized removal of election officials and enhance the protections for election records, including ballots and voting systems
-Prohibit the dissemination of false and misleading information designed to dissuade eligible voters from casting a ballot
-Improve election security by requiring post-election audits and voter verifiable paper records of a votes
-Protect elections from foreign interference
-Promote digital ad transparency
-Force disclosure of dark money

This measure has passed the House of Representatives and now moves to the Senate for consideration.

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