Democrats are working to restore voting protections and ensure every American can exercise the right to vote.
Every election, Americans head to the polls to exercise their most fundamental right – the right to vote. Unfortunately, Republicans at the state and federal levels have launched an unprecedented attack on voting rights. Over the past few years, measures have been introduced by Republicans in state legislatures across the country that would make it harder for millions of eligible voters to register or vote. Congressional Republicans have worked to shut down the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), which was established by the Help America Vote Act in 2002. The EAC helps states share and implement best practices in voting technology and provides resources to help protect voter data and keep voting accountable.
In addition, President Trump continues to make unsubstantiated claims that millions of Americans voted illegally in the last election, and he launched a commission to suppress voting and exclude millions of eligible voters from casting their ballot. The commission is led by a state official known for purging voter rolls and making ballot access more restrictive, and one of the first acts of the commission was to demand Americans’ private information, which could be used to intimidate voters and restrict their right to vote. Already, there have been reports of some voters de-registering in order to protect their personal information from being taken by the Trump Administration.
House Democrats will not stand for these partisan efforts to hinder access to the ballot. In December 2019, House Democrats passed the Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore the voting rights protections struck down by the Supreme Court in the flawed Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder. Earlier in 2019, the House passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, which makes it easier for Americans to exercise their right to vote. House Democrats have also passed the Securing America’s Federal Elections (SAFE) Act, legislation to safeguard our democracy and prevent foreign interference in our elections. The legislation authorizes a grant program to assist states in securing election infrastructure, among other provisions that improve the security and integrity of our elections.
House committees will continue to work on additional legislation to protect voting rights, strengthen election security, and stop continued efforts by foreign entities to subvert our democracy.
In addition, President Trump continues to make unsubstantiated claims that millions of Americans voted illegally in the last election, and he launched a commission to suppress voting and exclude millions of eligible voters from casting their ballot. The commission is led by a state official known for purging voter rolls and making ballot access more restrictive, and one of the first acts of the commission was to demand Americans’ private information, which could be used to intimidate voters and restrict their right to vote. Already, there have been reports of some voters de-registering in order to protect their personal information from being taken by the Trump Administration.
House Democrats will not stand for these partisan efforts to hinder access to the ballot. In December 2019, House Democrats passed the Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore the voting rights protections struck down by the Supreme Court in the flawed Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder. Earlier in 2019, the House passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, which makes it easier for Americans to exercise their right to vote. House Democrats have also passed the Securing America’s Federal Elections (SAFE) Act, legislation to safeguard our democracy and prevent foreign interference in our elections. The legislation authorizes a grant program to assist states in securing election infrastructure, among other provisions that improve the security and integrity of our elections.
House committees will continue to work on additional legislation to protect voting rights, strengthen election security, and stop continued efforts by foreign entities to subvert our democracy.