| Friend, Long-time election interference mastermind Roger Stone was recently taped at Mar-a-Lago, talking about the plan for Donald Trump to win the presidential election: “lawyers, judges, and technology.”(1) MAGA Republicans are planning on doing everything possible to stop people from getting to the polls -- and challenge their votes when they do. And thanks to the Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act, they could very much succeed. Since the Supreme Court took an axe to the Voting Rights Act, states have enacted more than 100 laws limiting voting access and unfairly benefiting Republicans in states with a history of racist voter suppression. If we’re going to make sure the 2024 election is fair and free, Congress must pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act immediately.
Between 2012 and 2018, states previously covered by the VRA closed 1,688 pollen places, making it harder for people to cast their ballots.(2) While it’s impossible to point to the specific elections altered by the end of the Voting Rights Act, Republicans have used these laws to suppress the votes of Black and brown folks, many of whom tend to vote for Democrats.(3) The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act will help push back against this ongoing assault on voting rights. Modernizing the VRA will provide additional protections for voters nationwide and create pathways for voters to take legal action if their rights are being curtailed.(4) Passing this legislation will not only move us closer to a genuinely representative political system but also weaken the power of right-wing politicians who have used voter suppression to hold on to power. Yours in the fight for our democracy! –Irene, Annie, Angela, Isidra, Mario, Marvin, Alyssa, Jen, Cecilia, and Lindsay (the Courage team)
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