‘We Are Out Of Options’: Nearly 500 State Lawmakers Urge Congress To Pass Voting Rights Bills As Senate Vote Doomed To Fail

Topline

Hundreds of Democratic state legislators are pushing congressional leaders to pass federal voting rights legislation to combat GOP state lawmakers’ efforts to impose new restrictions, saying in an open letter their Republican colleagues “refuse to act in good faith” and they need federal intervention—even as a planned vote Tuesday on sweeping voting rights legislation is almost certain to fail.

Key Facts

Crucial Quote

“We have attempted again and again to work with our Republican colleagues to set policies that safely and securely expanded voting access—but they simply refuse to act in good faith. This is not how we hoped our legislative bodies would function, but this is the world as it is,” the lawmakers wrote. “We are out of options. We need your help.”

Big Number

389. That’s the number of state bills imposing voting restrictions that have been introduced this year in 48 states as of May 14, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, as President Donald Trump and his allies’ baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election have fueled GOP efforts to impose new restrictions in the name of “election integrity.” Of those 389 bills, 22 laws have been enacted in 14 states—including in major battleground states like Georgia, Florida and Arizona—and 61 bills are moving through legislatures in 18 states.

What To Watch For

The Senate will vote Tuesday on whether to move forward with the For the People Act, a wide-ranging bill that would impose such reforms as expanding early voting, making it easier to register to vote, mandating no-excuse absentee voting, overhauling campaign finance rules and upgrading election security processes. Republicans are unified in their opposition to the bill, however, with McConnell decrying the legislation Tuesday as “Democrats’ transparent plan to tilt every election in America permanently in their favor.” It still remains to be seen how moderate Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin (W.V.) will vote on the legislation, after he penned an op-ed stating his opposition to the bill in its current form but then proposed changes that could get him on board, such as adding a voter ID requirement. While the Republican objection to the bill means it will not garner the 60 votes it needs to pass, the GOP’s refusal to consider voting rights legislation could help inspire Democrats to kill the filibuster and allow legislation to pass with a simple majority—though some Democrats including Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) are still opposed to doing so.

Tangent

In addition to the state lawmakers, more than 70 companies—including the National Hockey League, Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia—have also urged lawmakers to pass the For the People Act, part of a broader wave of opposition from corporate America against the Republican-led effort to enact new voting restrictions. Nine hundred political scientists also signed a separate letter Tuesday urging the bill’s passage, saying the legislation’s “passage would represent a major step forward in strengthening democracy for all Americans” as well as “counteract anti-democratic forces in the states.”

Further Reading

NHL, Ben & Jerry’s Among 70+ Corporations Urging Senate To Pass For The People Act This Week — But Voting Bill Still Likely To Fail (Forbes)

Senate Committee Will Begin Debate On Voting Rights Legislation—But The Bill Faces An Uphill Climb (Forbes)

80% Of Americans Support Voter ID Rules—But Fewer Worried About Fraud, Poll Finds (Forbes)

White House Says Election Reform Bill’s Failure Could Lead To Filibuster Changes (Forbes)