Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act

8/18/2023, 12:30 PM

Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act

This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, campaign finance, and voting rights.

Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls.

Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday.

The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote.

Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections.

The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting.

The bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices.

Next, the bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights.

The bill also includes provisions related to federally protected activities at polling places and voting access on tribal lands.

Bill 117 HR 5746, also known as the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress. The bill is named after the late civil rights leader John R. Lewis, who was a prominent advocate for voting rights.

The main purpose of the bill is to protect and expand voting rights for all Americans. It aims to strengthen the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was a landmark piece of legislation that aimed to eliminate discriminatory voting practices that disenfranchised minority voters.

Some key provisions of the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act include: 1. Restoring key provisions of the Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. This includes reinstating federal oversight of states with a history of voter discrimination. 2. Expanding early voting and voting by mail options to make it easier for all Americans to participate in the electoral process. 3. Implementing automatic voter registration to ensure that all eligible citizens are registered to vote. 4. Prohibiting voter purges that disproportionately affect minority voters. Overall, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act aims to ensure that every American has equal access to the ballot box and that their voices are heard in the democratic process. It is a crucial piece of legislation in the ongoing fight to protect and expand voting rights in the United States.
Congress
117

Number
HR - 5746

Introduced on
2021-10-27

# Amendments
16

Sponsors
+5

Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

1/13/2022

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
Passed in House
Introduced to Senate
Passed in Senate

Purpose and Summary

Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act

This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, campaign finance, and voting rights.

Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls.

Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday.

The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote.

Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections.

The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting.

The bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices.

Next, the bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights.

The bill also includes provisions related to federally protected activities at polling places and voting access on tribal lands.

Bill 117 HR 5746, also known as the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress. The bill is named after the late civil rights leader John R. Lewis, who was a prominent advocate for voting rights.

The main purpose of the bill is to protect and expand voting rights for all Americans. It aims to strengthen the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was a landmark piece of legislation that aimed to eliminate discriminatory voting practices that disenfranchised minority voters.

Some key provisions of the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act include: 1. Restoring key provisions of the Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. This includes reinstating federal oversight of states with a history of voter discrimination. 2. Expanding early voting and voting by mail options to make it easier for all Americans to participate in the electoral process. 3. Implementing automatic voter registration to ensure that all eligible citizens are registered to vote. 4. Prohibiting voter purges that disproportionately affect minority voters. Overall, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act aims to ensure that every American has equal access to the ballot box and that their voices are heard in the democratic process. It is a crucial piece of legislation in the ongoing fight to protect and expand voting rights in the United States.
Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedTo amend title 51, United States Code, to extend the authority of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to enter into leases of non-excess property of the Administration.

Policy Areas
Government Operations and Politics

Potential Impact
Accounting and auditing
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Adult day care
American Samoa
Assault and harassment offenses
Buy American requirements
Caribbean area
Child care and development
Civil actions and liability
Commemorative events and holidays
Computer security and identity theft
Congressional districts and representation
Congressional elections
Congressional oversight
Consumer credit
Corporate finance and management
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Criminal justice information and records
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Department of the Treasury
Digital media
Disability and paralysis
Disability assistance
Domestic violence and child abuse
Due process and equal protection
Election Assistance Commission
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Employee performance
Executive agency funding and structure
Family relationships
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Federal district courts
Federal officials
Federal-Indian relations
Food assistance and relief
Food industry and services
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Freedom of information
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Guam
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Higher education
House of Representatives
Housing and community development funding
Housing finance and home ownership
Indian lands and resources rights
Indian social and development programs
Intergovernmental relations
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Internet, web applications, social media
Judges
Judicial review and appeals
Jurisdiction and venue
Labor-management relations
Landlord and tenant
Legal fees and court costs
Low- and moderate-income housing
Manufacturing
Military personnel and dependents
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Northern Mariana Islands
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Political advertising
Political parties and affiliation
Postal service
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Public contracts and procurement
Public housing
Public participation and lobbying
Public transit
Puerto Rico
Racial and ethnic relations
Right of privacy
Rural conditions and development
Science, Technology, Communications
State and local government operations
Subversive activities
Supreme Court
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Tax-exempt organizations
U.S. territories and protectorates
User charges and fees
Violent crime
Virgin Islands
Voting rights
Water use and supply
Worker safety and health

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Recent Activity

Latest Summary1/26/2022

Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act

This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, campaign finance, and voting rights.

Specifically, the bill expands voter ...


Latest Action1/19/2022
Motion to proceed to consideration of the motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 5746 (Record Vote No. 9) withdrawn in Senate.