LWVUS and all 51 state Leagues sent a letter for the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act in support of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
August 6, 2025
To: Members of the US Congress
From: Celina Stewart, CEO, League of Women Voters of the US
Dianna Wynn, President, League of Women Voters of the US
Presidents of all 50 state LWV affiliates and the District of Columbia
Re: Now is the time for a strong Voting Rights Act
Today we mark the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). The League of Women Voters (“the League”), along with our affiliates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, call on Congress to pass legislation that will modernize and restore the vital protections of the VRA. Thanks to the leadership of Representative Terri Sewell and Senators Durbin and Warnock, the opportunity to restore this historic legislation exists in the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (JLVRAA). This is the most pressing piece of legislation we can pass to prevent discrimination and restore the VRA. The League applauds the work of members of Congress who are championing this bill to protect the sacred right to vote and strengthen our democracy, especially in the face of attacks and efforts to undermine the voice of voters.
The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) was founded in 1920, working on the front lines of voter education to assist newly enfranchised women in casting their ballots following the ratification of the 19th Amendment. We are a grassroots organization comprised of over one million members and supporters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with more than 750 local and state Leagues. The League is nonpartisan — neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government — and is committed to protecting every person’s freedom to vote. The League uses advocacy, education, litigation, and organizing to achieve our mission to empower voters and defend democracy. We base our work on policy positions developed through consensus by League membership to ensure our advocacy reflects best practices and a nationwide perspective.
Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder rolled back key provisions of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, discriminatory voting laws have been enacted across the country. We must restore and strengthen the full protection of the VRA by passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This vital legislation is needed to fully restore and modernize the VRA and ensure that discriminatory voting policies are stopped in their tracks. In recent elections, voters have faced a variety of obstacles, from reduced polling locations and stringent voter identification requirements to the illegal removal of registered voters from the rolls and restrictions that limit voters’ options when it comes to how they cast their ballots. We cannot risk further erosion of the freedom to vote and equality of opportunity for all eligible voters to cast their ballots.
We urge you to work with your colleagues in Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which will ensure that voters are able to cast their ballots free of discriminatory or administrative barriers. In the decades since it was passed into law, the VRA has been reauthorized every time with bipartisan support and signed by Presidents of both political parties. We urge you to uphold this bipartisan history by supporting the VRA. This legislation will ensure that those who seek to prevent voters of color, voters with language access needs, and voters with disabilities from casting their ballots are not allowed to infringe upon the right to vote.
Although the JLVRAA is a federal piece of legislation, the impacts of voting policies — both positive and negative — are felt acutely at the local level. For millions of Americans, it is now harder to register to vote, cast their ballot, and have their voices heard equally. This stands in stark opposition to the promise and values of American democracy.
Access to the vote is not a partisan issue. We hope to partner with your office to protect all voters. Please do not hesitate to contact our staff via Jessica Jones Capparell, Director of Government Affairs for the League of Women Voters of the US, at [email protected] or Kristen Kern, Federal Policy and Advocacy Manager for the League of Women Voters of the US, at [email protected].