releases: https://lawrence.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-representative-brenda-lawrence-votes-restore-preclearance-section
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://lawrence.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-representative-brenda-lawrence-votes-restore-preclearance-section | U.S. Representative Brenda Lawrence Votes to Restore Preclearance Section of the Voting Rights Act | 2019-12-06 | 2019 | 2019-12 | Democrat | House | MI | Brenda Lawrence | L000581 | lawrence.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (MI-14) voted today to pass H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019, critical legislation to restore the full strength of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), following the disastrous Supreme Court Shelby v. Holder decision, which gutted the VRA's ability to combat voter suppression and discrimination. After the Shelby court decision, several states began the process of imposing voting hurdles mostly in communities of color, said Congresswoman Lawrence. As an African-American woman, it concerns me that we will continue to see these restrictive voting laws unless something is done. It is an honor to join my colleagues to pass this historic legislation, which will restore vital voter protections and help ensure that every eligible voter in Michigan and the nation can have their voices heard. In 2013, in the Shelby v. Holder decision, the U.S. Supreme Court gutted a core part of the VRA and challenged Congress to create a replacement plan to protect African-Americans and other minorities against voter discrimination in the southern former slaveholding states. In its ruling, the Supreme Court declared the preclearance section of the law that was updated by Congress in 2006 was unconstitutional. This is the provision that created the formula that decides which states and locales with a history of racial discrimination need federal approval before changing their voting laws The Voting Rights Advancement Act establishes a policy to determine which states must change their voting procedures that were precleared by the Department of Justice or a federal court. If a threat of racial discrimination is present, this legislation provides the Attorney General with the authority to request federal observers to oversee voting. The Voting Rights Advancement Act subjects a state and all of its political subdivisions to preclearance of voting revisions for a 10-year period if: 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 25 years; 10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least one of which was committed by the state itself. A political subdivision shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years; Increases transparency by requiring reasonable public notice for voting changes; and Allows the Attorney General the authority to request the presence of federal observers anywhere in the county where there is a serious threat of racial discrimination in voting. An extensive congressional review found that since the Shelby County decision, at least 23 states have enacted restrictive statewide voting laws that have been shown to have a disproportionate impact on communities of color. Some of the suppressive voting laws include: strict voter identification; unfairly purging voters from voter rolls; curtailing early voting hours; and moving or eliminating polling sites. The Voting Rights Advancement Act is supported by more than 60 national organizations including the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the ACLU, AFL-CIO, UAW, End Citizens United Fund, and AFSCME. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |