Much of the attention over the 2021 and in the early weeks of 2022 has been on the failure of federal legislation to secure voting rights. But, as always, much of the movement has taken place at the state level. State legislatures proposed nearly three thousand bills...
Elizabeth Grossman
The Year in Review for Voting Rights: Five Achievements and Five Setbacks
2021 has been a historic year for voting rights policy. We tracked nearly 3,000 bills moving in all 50 states and D.C. this year, resulting in almost 300 new laws – both pro- and anti-voter. While voting rights advocates spent much of 2021 defending against attacks on...
Movement Victories: Stopping the Bad and Highlighting the Good
As we wrap up the 2021 legislative sessions in most states, let’s take stock of our movement’s victories. Voting rights advocates and organizers successfully ensured that some of the most restrictive policies failed. They also moved forward reforms across the country...
Where the Rubber Meets the Road: How Virginia and New Jersey Are Putting Recent Voting Law Changes into Effect
State legislatures have been working overtime to pass voting laws this year, with 2,661 bills introduced and 226 bills in 45 states enacted so far. Most states won’t hold statewide elections until 2022, and we’ll be eagerly watching to see how these new laws shape...
The Potential Impact of H.R. 4
On August 24, the House passed H.R. 4, also known as the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This federal legislation would require states and jurisdictions to obtain certification, or “preclearance” before making changes to election procedures in...