The Voting Rights Act was originally passed in 1965 as one of the chief legislative accomplishments of the civil rights movement. Since then, it has safeguarded the right to vote, guarding against discriminatory voting practices such as literacy tests and racial gerrymandering.
But the VRA is on shaky footing in 2022, facing opposition both in Congress and at the Supreme Court.
The pro-voter Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 moved quickly through Congress with strong bipartisan support. The speed of passage showed our country’s bipartisan support of voting rights, support which has dwindled in recent years -- as seen with the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
On March 7, 1965, hundreds of civil rights protestors attempted to march the 50 miles between Selma and Montgomery, Alabama to protest the suppression of Black votes. In this blog, we honor the work of the women who participated in this historic act.
The League joined LCCHR and over 50 groups on a letter to Majority Leader Schumer which urged him to remain focused on the core issue of racial discrimination in voting.
Over the past year, LWV has joined countless nonprofits in spreading knowledge and civic tools through the wildly popular video app, TikTok. We’ve compiled a few favorites.
Today the League of Women Voters of the United States CEO Virginia Kase Solomón issued the following statement on the Senate vote on voting rights.
Today the League of Women Voters of the United States CEO Virginia Kase Solomón issued the following statement on the Senate action on voting rights.
The United States Senate has canceled its January recess to bring Senators back to Washington to debate and vote on voting rights legislation. This follows months of pressure from the League and other activists to protect the freedom to vote.
The US Senate must follow suit and pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.
Today, League of Women Voters CEO Virginia Kase Solomón issued the following statement in reaction to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s strategy for bringing the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to the Senate floor, bypassing the filibuster rule.