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

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

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

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

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

VIRTUAL EVENT: How Civil Wars Start

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. RSVP today

 

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