Fight for HR1/SR1 and HR4
Two pieces of Voting Rights legislation worth fighting for!
The League of Women Voters strongly urges you to support two pieces of federal legislation: HR1 (For the People Act) and HR4 (John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act). They’ve been in the news quite a bit and you may (like us) be a bit confused.
- Passed the U.S. House in March
- Protects voter rights
- Strengthens election security
- Increases voter access
- Requires independent redistricting commissions
- Senate passage will require at least 10 Republicans to join all Democrats in order to overcome a promised filibuster
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (HR4)
- Seeks to restore 1965 Voting Rights Act gutted by Supreme Court in 2013
- Responds to the Supreme Court decision with a new coverage formula
- Requires Justice Department pre-approval for changes in elections processes
- Directly targets racism in elections
You can find more details about each bill in these articles provided by the Brennan Center for Justice:
Annotated Guide to the For the People Act of 2021
How to Restore and Strengthen the Voting Rights Act
What can you do?
Call, write, or email your Senators asking them to pass HR1/SR1.
The For the People Act has passed the House. It all depends on it passing in the Senate. The Senate Rules Committee has held contentious hearings on the bill. Let them know where you stand on this historic legislation.
Call, write or email your Senators and Representatives to support HR4.
The Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 passed the House in 2020, but the current bill has not yet been introduced in the 117th Congress. A vote is not expected in the House until September, 2021. The 1965 Voting Rights Act was a key achievement and its reversal has allowed for many of the terrible voter suppression actions we’ve seen in recent years. It’s essential that HR4 be passed.
Find contact information for Buncombe County U.S. Representative Madison Cawthorne and Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis here.
