Press Releases

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) today voted for H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore the full strength of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 following the Supreme Court Shelby v. Holder decision, which paved the way for renewed voter suppression and discrimination. In the wake of the Shelby decision, 23 states enacted voter suppression laws, including voter purges, ID requirements, poll closures and reduced early voting, all of which disproportionately affect voters of color

“The Voting Rights Advancement Act is a sorely needed reform to stop the attacks on voters which have unfolded in state houses following the terrible Shelby decision,” said Beyer. “The intent of many of these laws was clearly to weaken our democracy by preventing Americans from exercising their lawful right to vote. Justice demands that Congress put an end to attempts to disenfranchise voters based on race using voter restrictions and gerrymandering. 

This legislation to safeguard every eligible American voter’s access to the ballot box has the support of the American Association of University Women, League of Women Voters of the United States, National Education Association, NAACP, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and Native American Rights Fund.

The Voting Rights Advancement Act reestablishes full protections for voters in states with a recent history of discrimination. Among its key provisions, the bill:

•             Provides a new coverage formula following the Shelby decision to determine which jurisdictions are subject to preclearance, based on current conditions.

•             Establishes “practice-based preclearance,” focusing administrative or judicial review narrowly on suspect practices that are most likely to be tainted by discriminatory intent or to have discriminatory effects, as demonstrated by a broad historical record.