Folks,

I know it’s the week of Thanksgiving and the holidays are on the horizon. I know everyone is looking forward to some rest and relaxation with their loved ones. Unfortunately, those intent on dismantling democracy don’t take breaks, and we can’t let our guard down. Yesterday, the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a decision which is devastating for voting rights.

The Court just ruled that despite decades of practice, private citizens and civil rights groups are no longer allowed to challenge voting rights discrimination under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court will very likely hear an appeal, but, if this ruling stands, it’s the biggest legal assault on voting rights in over a decade.

Folks, this is the type of news that you need to bring up as you gather with loved ones this week. Think about it: private citizens no longer having the ability to legally advocate for their voting rights in our federal court system. It’s unprecedented. it's undemocratic. It completely undermines the spirit of the Voting Rights Act, plain and simple.

But when you bring this up with your loved ones this week, I want you to make sure that they know that while voting rights might be under attack, they are not defeated.

This is why it’s so important to keep organizing and fighting to make sure that we elect pro-voting rights leaders to state legislatures, to Congress and and the White House.

This electoral battle matters more than ever because if the Eighth Circuit decision stands, the United States government will be the only entity that can bring voting rights lawsuits. Can you imagine Donald Trump or any of the Republican candidates for President ever bringing a singe voting rights lawsuit? It doesn’t matter the politics of where you live. The People you elect matter.

It seems that every week we are seeing our rights and freedoms being rolled back. But we also know what voters do when their rights are under attack. It happened in the wake of the Dobbs decision. They organize. They fight. In Kansas, in Michigan, in Ohio and Virginia. They fight to make sure American rights and freedoms are protected. And they do it at the ballot box, which is why today’s decision is so important.

We must capitalize on that same energy in the wake of this monumental ruling. Talk about it on social media. Tell your friends, family, and every voter in your life who needs to know.
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I’d also appreciate it if you could pitch in to help ensure I can keep advocating for pro-voting rights leaders across the country this upcoming election year. The stakes keep getting higher, but I know we’ll rise to the moment and win.