WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined colleagues from the House and Senate today to introduce the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015, legislation that would restore and modernize voting protections for all Americans.  The bill restores key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, which was gutted by the Supreme Court in the 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder. Since then, states and localities throughout the country have passed sweeping laws that disproportionately suppress the voting rights of minorities.  These laws have left voters without the protections they need to exercise their constitutional right to vote. 

“Fifty years after Selma, the civil rights movement has not yet finished, and in states across Americas, voting rights that were once protected by federal statute are now again at risk from modern day Jim Crow laws,” said Senator Coons.  “This legislation recognizes the challenges we’ve overcome, but more importantly, it recognizes the challenges we still face today.”

“If it was not clear in 2014, I think it is clear today that we have come a great distance in this country toward healing the divisions and problems among us, but we are not there yet,” said civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.).   “This legislation acknowledges that we still have much more work to do, but we have come too far, and we have made too much progress to stop now.  I support this legislation and hope that this Congress will do what is right by the people of this nation and pass the voting right legislation that restores justice, dignity, and equal access to the ballot box in America.”

Senator Coons joined Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in introducing the measure in the Senate.  Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, introduced an identical measure in the House. 

Protections under the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 will extend to all voters nationwide.  The legislation targets certain voting practices known to suppress the voting rights of minorities.  The bill is the result of collaboration with those at the grassroots who have witnessed the harmful effects that discriminatory voting laws have had in their communities. 

Key provisions of the bill include:

  • A new geographic coverage formula that is based on current conditions.  The bill establishes a “rolling” nationwide trigger that continuously moves so that only states that have a recent record of racial discrimination in voting would be covered.
  • Allows federal courts to bail in states for preclearance.  Current law permits states or jurisdictions to be bailed in if an intentional violation can be shown.  The new legislation offers more protection by allowing a court to bail in states or jurisdictions whose voting practices have discriminatory results. 
  • Greater transparency in federal elections to ensure that voters are made aware of late-breaking changes in voting procedures.  The additional sunlight will deter discrimination from occurring and protect voters from discrimination.
  • Revises the standard for preliminary injunctions for voting rights cases, allowing a court at the start of litigation to immediately halt a challenged voting practice until a final ruling.  This provision recognizes that when voting rights are at stake, stopping a discriminatory practice after the election has already concluded is too late to vindicate voters’ rights.

An outline of the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 can be found here, and a sectional analysis can be found here.  Text of legislation can also be found online.