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1 Fact Sheet: The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act: The Bill Would Strengthen Legal Protections against Discriminatory Voting Policies and Practices, Restoring the Voting Rights Act 1 (2023)

handle is hein.election/fctshtjn0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FACT SHEET The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act The bill would strengthen legal protections against discriminatory voting policies and practices, restoring the Voting Rights Act. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R.14) would modernize and revitalize the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Supreme Court has hampered the law by gutting its preclearance provisions in Shelby County v Holder (2013) and by making it harder to sue to stop discriminatory practices in Brnovich v DNC (2021). The John Lewis Act would strengthen the law, moving us closer to ending discrimination in voting and guarantee- ing equal access to the ballot. Key Provisions Preclearance Geographic coverage: The John Lewis Act creates a new framework to determine which states and localities will be subject to preclearance. Under the requirement, juris- dictions with a history of voting discrimination must get approval from the Department of Justice or a federal court in Washington, DC, before changing their voting laws or practices to ensure that the changes are not discriminatory. In Shelby County, the Supreme Court struck down the Voting Rights Act's preclearance formula, saying it was outdated. The bill updates the formula to ensure that state and local coverage is based on recent evidence of discrimination. Practice-based coverage: The John Lewis Act makes some types of voting changes subject to preclearance nation- wide, if certain conditions are met, because those changes are so often discriminatory. The following practices would be covered: Creating at-large districts in places with sufficiently large minority populations. Changing jurisdiction boundaries to remove minori- ties from the jurisdiction in places with sufficiently large minority populations. Changing the boundaries of a district where a minority group is sufficiently large and has had a large population increase. Imposing stricter requirements for documentation or proof of identity to vote. Reducing the availability of or altering multilingual voting materials. Reducing, consolidating, or relocating polling places, early and Election Day voting opportunities, or absentee voting opportunities in places with suffi- ciently large minority populations. Making it easier to remove voters from the rolls in places with sufficiently large minority populations. Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law 1

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