Why We Still Need the John Lewis Voting Rights Act

John Lewis’s Legacy Lives On

Five years ago today, America lost one of its greatest moral leaders – and my neighbors and I lost our Congressman. John Lewis never stopped fighting for voting rights – from the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the halls of Congress, to the diners around Atlanta. He believed voting was the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democracy to make change. He was emotional, strong and powerful in every interaction we ever had when we spoke about our precious freedom to vote.

In his honor, Democrats in Congress introduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and passed it through the U.S. House. The bill was designed to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act of 1965 after it was gutted by the Supreme Court. But it was blocked by Republican members in the Senate.

This anniversary isn’t just a moment to remember his legacy. It’s a moment to defend it.

Congresswoman Terri Sewell recently reintroduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, saying it would “give us the tools necessary to address modern-day voter suppression and ensure every American has equal access to the ballot box.”

The SAVE Act Is Everything Lewis Fought Against

Instead of protecting voting rights, MAGA extremists are pushing new laws to destroy them – including a national voter suppression bill known as the SAVE Act.

The SAVE Act would make it harder for eligible Americans to register to vote by forcing them to present specific documents to prove their citizenship in person – even though it's already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.

It’s a new version of an old Jim Crow trick: use false claims and bureaucracy to block access to  the ballot.

The bill targets naturalized citizens, effectively eliminates popular and accessible forms of voter registration, like online and by mail, and would likely be used to purge voters from the rolls. It’s part of the far-right’s scheme to suppress Black, brown, and working-class voters.

It’s so important to them that Donald Trump attempted to force Congress to pass the SAVE Act by making it a condition for keeping the federal government funded. They don’t want to protect democracy – they want to rig it.

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A Direct Threat to Black Voters

The SAVE Act would be particularly harmful to Black voters – especially in states like Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan.

The bill effectively eliminates registration by mail, online, and through third-party groups- known as voter registration drives – methods that have played a critical role in empowering Black communities and expanding access to the ballot for decades.

It would also require documents that many Black voters are less likely to have. Just a third of Black Americans have valid passports. Older Black voters – especially those born during the Jim Crow era – may not have birth certificates at all, due to racist hospital and record-keeping practices.

This bill also hits Black voters harder because they are more likely to move – whether due to housing costs, job changes, or personal needs – and have to update their registration. In Georgia, Black voters make up 33.8% of all registered voters. Between 2022 and 2025, they accounted for 34.8% of new voters and 38.6% of those who changed addresses.

The SAVE Act threatens to erase the very progress John Lewis gave his life fighting for.

What John Lewis Would Say Today

John Lewis reminded us that democracy is not a state – it is an act.

He urged us to get into “good trouble” in defense of what’s right. To speak up. To take bold, moral action. To be passionate in our advocacy – and also kind and driven by love.

Today, that means standing up against voter suppression laws like the SAVE Act – and demanding the passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

What You Can Do

Far-right activists have made their intentions clear. Their end goal is to block Americans from voting and further concentrate power among those already powerful. And one of their vehicles to achieve this goal is the SAVE Act.

Backed by influential far-right donors (for example, Federalist Society co-chair Leonard Leo’s network and billionaire Richard Uihlein), these groups coordinate national strategies to pass restrictive voting laws.

Tea Party Patriots – the same group that helped organize and was a sponsor of the January 6 rally – are now closely involved in Cleta Mitchell’s Election Integrity Network project. Mitchell is one of the most influential anti-voting activists in the country. Tea Party Patriots are launching a new pressure campaign, aiming to force the SAVE Act through the Senate.

Mitchell helped draft the SAVE Act and was on Trump’s infamous call to pressure Georgia's Secretary of State “find” votes after he lost in 2020. In late 2023/early 2024, her group helped launch the “Only Citizens Vote” coalition to push for laws like the SAVE Act.

It’s all connected. But we can fight back together:

• Call your U.S. Senators and tell them to oppose the SAVE Act. Call your U.S. Representative and urge them to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act: (202) 224-3121

• Check your voter registration and help others do the same.

• Support pro-voter organizations working to defend access to the ballot.

John Lewis showed us the way. Now it’s our turn to march forward.

For John. For our democracy.

Lauren Groh-Wargo

Fair Fight Action CEO

Paid for by Fair Fight Action.