Deborah Archer President at American Civil Liberties Union | Official website
With the 60th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches approaching, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is urging Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA). The bill was reintroduced today and aims to restore and strengthen federal protections against racial discrimination in voting. This comes as a response to Supreme Court rulings that have weakened the Voting Rights Act of 1965, including Shelby County v. Holder in 2013 and Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee in 2021.
The VRAA's reintroduction coincides with rising concerns over voting rights amid federal threats such as the proposed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which Congress is currently considering. Critics argue that the SAVE Act could lead to widespread disenfranchisement by requiring citizenship documents like birth certificates and passports for voter registration or re-registration. It also proposes faulty voter roll purges, potentially affecting voters of color, naturalized citizens, young and older voters, and married women who change their last name.
"Since the Supreme Court first gutted the Voting Rights Act over a decade ago, we have seen a coordinated effort to further roll back voting rights that Selma’s brave foot soldiers fought and bled for," said Xavier Persad, senior policy counsel with the ACLU. "Instead of pushing anti-voter legislation like the SAVE Act that would lead to widespread disenfranchisement, especially for voters of color, Congress should be working to advance the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to combat relentless efforts by states to restrict access to the ballot."
The VRAA seeks to reinstate essential federal protections against racially discriminatory voting laws. Following the Supreme Court's decision in Shelby County v. Holder that removed preclearance requirements, states have enacted restrictive voter ID laws, racially biased maps, and voter roll purges impacting Black, Latino, Indigenous communities among others.
