Freedom to Vote Act Reintroduced in Congress; Brennan Center Reacts

Today members of Congress reintroduced the Freedom to Vote Act in the House (H.R. 11) and Senate (S. 1).

Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, had the following reaction:

"The champions behind the Freedom to Vote Act have brought it back to finish the job after coming so close last year. They are part of a growing democracy movement determined to defend our elections. The strains on our democracy persist, and the vote needs better protection.

“This legislation passed the House, had the support of President Biden, and was supported by a majority of the Senate. It came achingly close last year. It will become law in a future Congress. It cannot happen soon enough.

“Although election deniers had some important defeats in the midterms, they aren’t going away. And state legislators haven’t stopped passing bills that restrict the vote or create openings for meddling in elections. The Freedom to Vote Act would safeguard access to the ballot and make our democracy more sustainable in the face of these threats.

“Along with the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act’s protections against racial discrimination, the Freedom to Vote Act has the best solutions available to strengthen our democracy for all. It would create national standards for voting and elections, fix partisan gerrymandering in congressional elections, establish new safeguards for election officials and workers, and blunt the problem of dark money in politics.

“Congress must advance the Freedom to Vote Act. Our democracy demands it.”

Resources from the Brennan Center

• “Pass the Freedom to Vote Act”
• “Voting Laws Roundup: June 2023”
• “The Election Deniers’ Playbook for 2024”
• “States Have Added Nearly 100 Restrictive Laws Since SCOTUS Gutted the Voting Rights Act 10 Years Ago”