2021 Review: Democracy in Doubt

[link removed]

What a year. It began with reason to hope for the health of our democracy. The 2020 election had the highest turnout since 1900, despite the pandemic. It was a real achievement.

That hope quickly deflated under the weight of what came next. Trump’s Big Lie of a stolen election. A violent insurrection at the Capitol. A wave of new laws in the states to restrict the vote, and, perhaps even more alarming, to let partisans tally the results. Today, one in three Americans don’t accept the results of the 2020 election.

Former President Donald Trump’s attempted coup failed, but there’s no guarantee the next one will: His allies are systematically seeking to remove all obstacles to rigging the 2022 and 2024 votes.

For the Brennan Center, these events have made this a year of extraordinary effort. My colleagues spent 2021 tirelessly exposing, publicizing, and combating this assault on the vote. We identified 34 new laws making it harder to vote in 19 states. Fourteen state legislatures have taken steps to limit judicial independence or increase political influence over courts. Our research drew wide public attention and helped shape debate. We’re working with allies and election officials to defend free and fair elections. We’ve sued to stop harsh and racially discriminatory voting laws in Texas, and discriminatory electoral maps in Ohio. We work as part of a wide and growing democracy movement.

Now, the year draws to a close on a dramatic note, with action that could save our democracy waiting for a vote in Congress. When states are abusing the rights of their people, there is simply no substitute for strong federal action. Congress can stop this assault on democracy. It has the power, legally and constitutionally. Does it have the political will?

At long last we are finding out. The House already has passed strong voting rights legislation. A majority of the Senate supports these bills. Now Senate leaders and President Biden have said this is a top, must-pass priority. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced the voting bills would be the first order of business at the beginning of January. And Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said — in the very Fox News interview where he said that he would not support the Build Back Better bill — that voting rights is a must, and Senate rules must not get in the way. Pressure is building, things are changing by the hour, and we have a chance — but only a chance — to win action.

Make no mistake: sacred democratic principles are on the line. One person, one vote. Equal rights under the law. Let’s embrace them and get back to perfecting our union.

Below you’ll find some of our most important work of 2021. I hope you’ll find it useful as we head into a new and transformative year.

Help us start off the new year with a big push for critical voting rights legislation. Make a matched gift today to help fight the Big Lie and a wave of restrictive voting laws in 2022.

[link removed]

Our democracy can’t wait.





The Threats

State Voter Suppression Laws

By December 7, 19 states had passed 34 laws restricting voting access, more than in any year since the Brennan Center began tracking voting legislation. There’s more to come as new legislative sessions begin next month, with many of the over 440 restrictive bills rolled over for consideration. “These early indicators — coupled with the ongoing mobilization around the Big Lie (the same false rhetoric about voter fraud that drove this year’s unprecedented wave of vote suppression bills) — suggest that efforts to restrict and undermine the vote will continue to be a serious threat in 2022.” Read more

[link removed]

Election Sabotage

Only a couple of years ago, giving politicians the power to overturn elections was unthinkable. Now state legislators are trying to make it a reality, with bills that would let partisan officials reject election results, take control of election administration, and drastically limit local election officials’ ability to do their jobs. Will Wilder, Derek Tisler, and Wendy Weiser detail this scheme and what can be done to stop it. “These laws and proposals, often added quietly and late in the legislative process, would change who runs elections, who counts the votes, and how. They go beyond vote suppression to enable direct election subversion. And they have a distinctly authoritarian flavor,” they write. Read more

[link removed]

Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering, the practice of manipulating the drawing of electoral districts to influence who gets elected, has been around since the Founding. (In the very first House election, Patrick Henry drew a congressional district to try to prevent James Madison from winning.) Both parties do it when they can. Now, gerrymandering looks likely to get worse because the legal framework governing redistricting has not kept up with demographic changes. Following a decade where population growth was entirely driven by communities of color, gerrymanderers are working hard to block their right to fair representation. “Residential segregation and racially polarized voting patterns, especially in southern states, mean that targeting communities of color can be an effective tool for creating advantages for the party that controls redistricting,” Michael Li and Julia Kirschenbaum write. Read more

[link removed]





The Solutions

The Freedom to Vote Act

The Freedom to Vote Act would be the most comprehensive democracy reform legislation enacted in over half a century, a historic measure addressing the biggest problems facing American democracy. It would set national standards to protect voting rights, counter election sabotage tactics, outlaw partisan gerrymandering, and revamp the campaign finance system with an eye towards fairness. “With congressional redistricting already under way and the 2022 midterm campaigns set to begin in earnest within months, there is no time to lose. Congress must act without delay.” Read more

[link removed]

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

This bill would restore the 1965 Voting Rights Act to full strength following two Supreme Court decisions that have severely limited the landmark law to prevent racial voter discrimination. The VRA would have prevented or blunted nearly all of the worst new state laws. “Safeguarding our democracy and protecting voting rights is one of the most sacred responsibilities [Congress] has. The House has passed this bill. It’s now up to the Senate to act,” Wendy Weiser writes. Read more

[link removed]





Coming Up

VIRTUAL EVENT: How Civil Wars Start

[link removed]

Thursday, January 13, 6–7 p.m. ET



The United States has long been known for its optimism. We trust that peace prevails, our institutions are unshakable, and our democracy is unbreakable. But in the past decade, America has undergone seismic changes in cultural and economic power that have created a fertile breeding ground for political violence. Brennan Center Fellow Michael German, a former FBI special agent and expert on domestic terrorism, discusses the dangers with Barbara F. Walter, author of the new book How Civil Wars Start And How to Stop Them

[link removed]

. RSVP today

[link removed]



Produced in partnership with New York University’s John Brademas Center

Want to keep up with Brennan Center Live events? Subscribe to the events newsletter.

[link removed]

Feedback on this newsletter? Email us at [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]





[link removed]

Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law

120 Broadway, Suite 1750 New York, NY 10271

646-292-8310

tel:646-292-8310

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



Support Brennan Center

[link removed]

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences

[link removed]

.

Want to stop receiving these emails? Click here to unsubscribe

[link removed]

.

[link removed]

[link removed]

[link removed]

[link removed]

[link removed]

[link removed]