Indivisibles,
253. That’s how many voter suppression bills have been introduced by state
lawmakers so far this year.^1 Republican lawmakers across the country are
unleashing restrictive, anti-democratic bills to combat the massive
election turnout we witnessed in 2020. They’re targeting voters --
especially Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) voters -- and
the voting methods adopted to open access during COVID-19. These are the
same voters who turned out in record numbers in key states like Georgia
and Arizona, and who are especially impacted by COVID-19. To put it simply
-- these bills are discriminatory, anti-democratic, and will further erode
our democracy if we don’t act now. [ [link removed] ]That’s why we’re asking you to call
your representative now and demand they vote YES on the H.R. 1.
Our moment of Democratic opportunity
Take the historic, record-shattering turnout in the Georgia runoff
elections that determined control of the Senate.^2 Nearly 60% of eligible
voters cast a ballot -- that’s more than double the previous record for
Georgia’s highest-turnout runoff. Black voters made up over half of those
votes due in large part to the dedication and vision of organizers in the
state. In response, there have now been dozens of restrictive and overtly
discriminatory measures introduced by Republicans in the Georgia state
legislature related to voting and election procedures.^3 Grassroots
organizers bend over backward registering and encouraging voters to see
their power, but these bills will continue to be introduced so long as
there’s no federal oversight. We can’t allow those in power to continue
manipulating our democracy in their favor -- we need sustained, structural
safety measures against voter suppression.
Next week, the House of Representatives is taking up the For the People
Act, H.R. 1, which will expand voting rights and election security
measures, public funding for elections, and fight racial and partisan
gerrymandering at all levels. This piece of legislation is critical to
stopping these anti-democratic bills from stripping away the right to vote
from large swathes of the electorate. We must bolster our democracy and
ensure it truly represents all people, for the first time in our history.
This is our moment of Democratic opportunity, and we need you to call your
representative now and demand they vote YES on H.R. 1 when it reaches the
floor. Then, keep reading for more details on H.R. 1, and how you can keep
up the pressure on your members of Congress in the coming weeks.
[ [link removed] ]Call your representative >>
What’s included in H.R. 1?
With every attempt to subvert our democratic norms and steal the 2020
election, Donald Trump and his cronies highlighted the cracks in our
democratic system -- the very ones that allowed Trump to come to power in
the first place. This year, Democrats signaled that their number one
priority is structural democracy reform by introducing the For the People
Act, H.R. 1. This bill is a crucial first step toward making our democracy
truly representative of the people as it targets voter suppression
tactics, gerrymandering, money in politics, corruption, and more. Here are
the key ways that H.R. 1 will strengthen our democracy:
* Increase voter empowerment and access by ensuring that everyone is
included and represented in our democracy. These measures include
things like restoring the Voting Rights Act, protecting against
improper purging of voter rolls, and more.
* Limit money and its influence in politics with measures like starting
the process of overturning Citizens United, eliminating dark money and
its influence, and empowering the Federal Election Commission to truly
enforce campaign finance law.
* Combat corruption and strengthen ethics policies in government with
measures like ensuring all ethics rules apply to all government
officials (including the President) and locking the “revolving door”
of lobbyists and government officials.
As we’ve seen time and time again, many of the worst structural flaws in
our system were intentionally created to exclude and limit who can truly
be American. Our political system is rigged to favor Republicans, as we
saw during the 2020 election, and now they’re aggressively working to make
it worse. This is our “once in a generation chance to unrig the system”
that Republicans built to work against people of color, workers,
immigrants, low-income families, and more.^4 It starts with pressuring
your representative in the House to pass H.R. 1. [ [link removed] ]Call today and keep
calling.
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team
^[ [link removed] ]1. Voting Laws Roundup Appendix: February 2021
^[ [link removed] ]2. How Democrats Won The Georgia Runoffs
^[ [link removed] ]3. Republicans Are Taking Their Voter Suppression Efforts to New
Extremes^
[ [link removed] ]4. The Decision that will Decide the Next Decade
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