Advancement Project National Office Statement on the Passage of the Voting Rights Advancement Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act. The legislation restores key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and helps prevent racial discrimination in voting. Advancement Project National Office, a national racial justice and civil rights organization, released the following statement:
“We are encouraged by the House’s passage of critical voting rights legislation that will help eliminate discrimination in voting,” said Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project National Office. “When the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in 2013, it significantly weakened protections for Black and Brown voters. Today, the fight to undo this has taken a crucial step forward.”
“We cannot deny the necessity of H.R. 4 in the wake of the Shelby v. Holder decision. Over 20 states have enacted discriminatory laws like strict voter ID requirements, cut early voting days, or purged their voter rolls. These measures were intentionally designed to make it harder for people of color to vote. In our report, We Vote We Count, issued by the Racial Equity Collaborative, we recount stories from Black and Brown communities in North Dakota, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Alabama who faced barrier to voting. Their voting challenges reinforce data showing an increase in the number of voting rights violations since the Shelby decision. These violations imperil our democracy and burden eligible voters of color.”
“The passage of the Voting Rights Advancement Act is a step toward ensuring free and fair elections. This should not be a partisan issue, this is a democracy issue. The Senate must take a vote on the bill to protect all voters before the 2020 election.”
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Advancement Project is a multi-racial civil rights organization. Founded by a team of veteran civil rights lawyers in 1999, Advancement Project was created to develop and inspire community-based solutions based on the same high-quality legal analysis and public education campaigns that produced the landmark civil rights victories of earlier eras.
