American democracy is in urgent need of repair.
Baseless allegations of voter fraud prompted an insurrectionary mob to storm the Capitol and have since led to a wave of new voting restrictions in the states. The 2021 redistricting cycle, which is already underway, is almost certain to be marred by another round of extreme partisan gerrymandering that will distort dozens of congressional races. And our broken campaign finance system is increasingly dominated by a tiny group of major donors able to write checks for $100,000 or more and by record levels of secret money from unknown sources. All of these longstanding problems and newer ones, like attacks on local election officials and other efforts to subvert the electoral process itself, harm all Americans. But they disproportionately impact—and in many cases effectively target—voters and communities of color.
The guardrails that protect our democratic system must be strengthened. In order to solve America’s most pressing issues – from racial injustice to climate change to economic inequality – we must first ensure that our political system is fair, equitable, and inclusive, reflecting the needs of each and every American. That is why the Freedom to Vote Act must be passed without delay.
The Freedom to Vote Act is compromise legislation that incorporates most of the key provisions of the For the People Act, the historic democracy reform bill that passed the House in March 2021. Like the For the People Act, the Freedom to Vote Act is transformative legislation that would set national standards to protect the freedom to vote, ban partisan gerrymandering, overhaul our campaign finance system, and safeguard the electoral process. Together with the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act—which would restore and update the full protections of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965—the Freedom to Vote Act would be the most comprehensive democracy reform law enacted in decades. Congress must pass the critical legislation as soon as possible.
To learn more about the Freedom to Vote Act and its path to passage, check out the following resources:
Read about the key provisions in the bill.
Read analysis and commentary from the Brennan Center and others on the Freedom to Vote Act and democracy reform.
Congressional Hearings and Testimony
Hearings and testimony related to voting rights and democracy reform.
Momentum for Democracy Reform Across the Country
Americans overwhelmingly support key democracy reforms. Momentum is building across the country.
Even if the filibuster cannot be abolished, there are ways to fix it that would clear a path for major democracy reform.
