House Democrats Introduce John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) joined every House Democrat today in introducing H.R. 14, The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The legislation would protect the right to vote and safeguard our democracy by restoring and updating the full protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Since the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder gutting the Voting Rights Act, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of restrictive state voting laws that disproportionally suppress turnout and target Black and Brown people, young adults, and the elderly. 

“Since Shelby v. Holder we have gone backwards on votingrights, but the legacy of John Lewis that we keep marching forward. Attacks on the voting rights of Black people have been a constant in this country since passage of the 14^th Amendment, but what has changed is the federal government’s ability to do something about it. I am proud to cosponsor the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act because it is time for voting rights to be protected and restored. Every eligible American should be able to cast their vote and fully participate in our democracy,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.

Until the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in Shelby County, The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prevented states and localities with a history of voter discrimination from restricting voting access by requiring them to clear new election laws with the Department of Justice or a U.S. District Court. In 2021, the Court further weakened the law in Brnovich v. DNC, a decision that made it more difficult to challenge discriminatory voting laws. Since Shelby County, Republican state legislatures have closed polling stations, curbed early voting and voting by mail, imposed strict identification requirements, limited multi-lingual voting materials, and made it harder to register to vote – all without shame or repercussions.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act:

• Restores and modernizes the protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

  • Creates a new coverage formula and updates the VRA’s preclearance provision to focus on states with a recent history of discrimination

• Establishes a targeted process for reviewing voting law changes based on measures that have historically been used to discriminate against voters

  • Creates a process-based trigger for reviewing changes such as establishing photo ID laws or reducing multilingual voting materials, which have been shown to have a discriminatory impact

• Amends Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to codify the original standard to challenge racially discriminatory laws

• Ensures federal courts can immediately halt questionable voting practices

• Gives the Attorney General authority to request that federal observers be present where discriminatory practices pose a serious threat

• Increases transparency by requiring reasonable public notice for voting law changes

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