Urge Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

Our democracy is under assault. As American Jews, we have an obligation to heed President Biden's ominous warning to Congress that, “if we are to truly restore the soul of America — we need to protect the sacred right to vote.”

Today, the Republican Party's alarming attempts to restrict voting accessibility in 49 states are disproportionately targeting communities of color, so far at least 19 states have enacted 33 laws that restrict access to the vote. We must work to preserve our democracy and ensure equality. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act reflects the cornerstone Jewish value of protecting equality and the right to vote by:

• Restoring the full protections of the original, bipartisan Voting Rights Act of 1965;
• Establishing a federal process for reviewing voting changes in jurisdictions nationwide, focused on measures which historically have been used to discriminate against voters;
• Requiring reasonable public notice for voting changes;
• Providing the Attorney General authority to request federal observers be present wherever there might be a serious threat of racial discrimination in voting; and
• Increasing accessibility and protections for Native American and Alaska Native voters.

Protecting the right to vote is a cornerstone Jewish value. House Democrats passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Act in August. Now it's time for Senate Republicans to end their filibuster. Urge your Senator to support the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.