The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for July 20, 2023
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)
Today’s Links below the script
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Tuesday, Democratic leaders of the U.S. House and Senate re-introduced the Freedom to Vote Act, the sweeping democracy reform bill narrowly defeated in the U.S. Senate in 2022.
The GOP’s recently introduced American Confidence in Elections Act attempts to nationalize extreme state restrictions on voting. In contrast, the Freedom to Vote Act dramatically expands and protects access to the polls. It mandates two weeks of early voting nationwide for federal elections, creates national standards for access to mail-in absentee voting, and outlaws recently-enacted state voter suppression tactics.
Voter ID options would be expanded, and voting accessibility for the disabled required. Opportunities for voter registration would include automatic voter registration at the DMV, online registration, and same-day registration. New rules would prevent partisan-driven purges of voter lists without adequate notification.
The Freedom to Vote Act also bans partisan gerrymandering, and with the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, restores sections of the Voting Rights Act struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Dark money organizations and PACs would be required to disclose their donors, and a voluntary small-donor matching campaign finance system for Congress would be established to reduce the hold of special interests.
While the bill came close to passage in 2022, its prospects are dimmer this time with a divided House and Senate.
We have many other details on the bill at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Brennan Center for Justice – Summary: The Freedom to Vote Act
Brennan Center for Justice – Summary: The Many Problems with the GOP-Backed ACE Act Voting Bill
Democracy Docket – House and Senate Democrats Reintroduce the Freedom to Vote Act
U.S. Senate via Democracy Docket – Bill Text for the Freedom to Vote Act
PBS – Press Conference of Reintroduction of the Freedom to Vote Act
Roll Call – Democrats respond to ‘MAGA extremists’ with rival election bill
Groups Taking Action:
Declaration for American Democracy Coalition*, Common Cause, ACLU, Public Citizen, People for the American Way, League of Women Voters US *Coalition of 260+ groups
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