U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) and Home Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) have introduced a bill to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act aims to address the weakening of the 1965 law by the U.S. Supreme Court. Below this proposed legislation, jurisdictions with a history of voting discrimination would have to have approval from the Division of Justice or a federal court prior to altering their voting laws to guarantee that the adjustments are not discriminatory. On top of that, the bill would make it a lot easier for voters to challenge discriminatory voting laws in court.

Dr. Jennifer Jones, director of the Center for Science and Democracy (CSD) at the Union of Concerned Scientists, emphasizes the significance of this legislation. She highlights that in the decade given that the Supreme Court’s Shelby ruling, at least 29 states have passed laws that make it tougher for individuals to vote. These laws disproportionately have an effect on Black, Latino, Asian, and Native voters. Measures such as decreasing polling areas and absentee voting possibilities in regions with substantial minority populations, limiting access to multilingual voting supplies, and facilitating the removal of voters from registration lists have had a discriminatory influence.

Dr. Jones argues that the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is essential since these state laws are taking us back to a time when voting was a privilege determined by race and social status. Such exclusions are detrimental to the public interest since choices created in the absence of diverse voices are not actually representative or equitable. She also emphasizes that the well being of a democracy is connected to the well being of a nation and its individuals.

The Center for Science and Democracy’s report, titled “Our Unhealthy Democracy,” delves additional into how attacks on voting rights undermine public well being, giving added sources on this subject.