(Columbia, SC) – Representatives of the League of Women Voters of the Columbia Area Board of Directors recognized Women’s Equality Day, August 26, 2021, by gathering in front of the South Carolina State House to show their support for national voting rights legislation. Members of the League of Women Voters of the Columbia Area held signs that read “Pass the For The People Act” and “Pass the John Lewis VRAA (Voting Rights Advancement Act).”
According to the League of Women Voters of the United States, “The ‘For The People Act’ will improve our nation’s democracy by making our election system more free, fair, and accessible to all Americans. This legislation will restore the Voting Rights Act, provide automatic voter registration and same day registration, eliminate dark money in our elections, end gerrymandering, and restore transparency in government. The “John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act” is proposed legislation that would restore and strengthen parts of the “Voting Rights Act of 1965.”
On August 24, 2021, the United States House of Representatives passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Upon the occasion of the passing of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in the United States House of Representatives, LWVUS President, Dr. Deborah Turner issued the following statement:
Right now, we are faced with an assault on our democracy that threatens the voting freedoms of millions of Americans — particularly voters of color, women voters, disabled voters, and young voters. Our President has given us his word that he will be a champion for voting rights. But we have yet to see him put those words into action. We have yet to see him use the full power of the executive branch to advance the For the People Act. We have yet to see him bring lawmakers together on voting rights the same way he did on infrastructure. Our freedom to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. Now is the time to ensure national standards that will protect and expand our access to the ballot.
The Voting Rights Act has always received bipartisan support. And that’s because the right to vote is not a partisan issue, it is the foundation of our democracy. Now is not the time to sit back and hope our Congress does the right thing. President Biden must use the full power of his office. He must compel Congress to pass voting rights legislation and ensure the freedom to vote for all Americans. Attacks on our freedom to vote are meant to drown out the voices of those least represented in our democracy. When one person is disenfranchised, our entire democracy is weakened.
