The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

Restoring the Power of the Vote. Protecting Our Democracy for All.

The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy -and it’s under attack like never before in the modern era. Since the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby v. Holder, states across the country have passed restrictive voting laws that disproportionately harm voters of color, the elderly, people with disabilities, students, and low-income communities. In just the past year, 33 new anti-voter laws have been passed in 19 states.

These attacks are not about election security -they’re about power and control. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is how we fight back.

This historic legislation restores and strengthens the full protections of the original Voting Rights Act of 1965, ensuring that no American is denied the right to vote because of their race, zip code, or background.

What the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act Will Do

• Prevent Racial Discrimination in Voting: Restores the requirement that certain jurisdictions with a history of voter suppression must receive federal approval before changing their voting laws.

• Increase Transparency and Accountability: Requires public notice and federal review of voting changes that could disproportionately impact communities of color.

• Strengthen Legal Protections: Reinforces voters’ ability to challenge discriminatory laws in court and gives the Department of Justice greater authority to investigate violations.

• Protect Against Backsliding: Allows communities to challenge any voting changes that make it harder to vote, even if those changes don’t explicitly target race.

• Expand Federal Oversight: Reinvigorates the federal observer program to monitor elections and ensure compliance with voting rights laws.

Honoring Native Voting Rights

The Senate version of the bill (S. 4) also incorporates the Native American Voting Rights Act (NAVRA) -a crucial step in addressing the systemic barriers faced by Native communities in accessing the ballot.

Key provisions include:

• State-Level Native Voting Task Forces to identify and remove voting barriers on tribal lands.

• Simplified Polling Access by streamlining how polling places are added in tribal areas.

• Uniform Voting Standards for Native communities in federal elections.

• ID Acceptance Protections that require states to accept tribal and federal IDs where identification is required.

• Culturally Appropriate Language Access to ensure Native voters understand the voting process in their preferred language.

• Use of Tribal Buildings as Addresses for voter registration to support voters living in remote or nontraditional housing.

We must honor the legacy of Congressman John Lewis by protecting the freedom he risked his life to secure.

As your representative, I will fight to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, because no voter should ever face intimidation, discrimination, or unnecessary obstacles at the ballot box. The Senate must act, and we must not let outdated rules or political games stand in the way of progress.

The freedom to vote must be sacred, protected, and equal -for everyone.