This piece was originally published in the January 11, 2022 edition of CAP Action’s newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.
“‘The right to vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool or instrument in a democratic society. We must use it.” – Rep. John Lewis
American history is a steady march towards achieving our founding ideals – freedom, democracy, justice. We have so much to be proud of in the fight to expand the right to vote, and the heroes who paid for voting rights with their lives.
But now, in the face of relentless attacks on our freedom to vote, our democracy is in unprecedented danger.
In order to protect the right to vote, the Senate MUST act now to pass major voting rights reforms that would fight back against right-wing attempts to make it harder to vote and easier for partisan politicians to overturn the will of the people.
Share this graphic to show your followers what is at stake in the Senate this week!
- President Biden is set to travel today to Atlanta “to speak to the American people about the urgent need to pass legislation to protect the constitutional right to vote and the integrity of our elections.” The speech comes as Senate Democrats prepare for a push to pass legislation to expand access to the ballot, the Freedom to Vote Act, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act—which would restore portions of the original Voting Rights Act of 1965 that were struck down by the Supreme Court.
- In a voting rights victory on the local level, New York City is set to become the first major city in the country to expand local voting rights to some non-citizen residents. More than 800,000 non-citizen New Yorkers would be allowed to vote in the municipal elections that determine so much about their daily lives for the first time.
WHAT WE’RE READING
This piece was originally published in the January 6, 2022 edition of CAP Action’s newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.