April, 12 2021, 12:00am EDT
Voting Rights Groups Across the Country Condemn State-Level Voter Suppression, Urge Senate Passage of For the People Act
Earlier today, Stand Up America and End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund joined All Voting Is Local Action and MOVE Texas to respond to the onslaught of voter suppression legislation in states across the country and to call on the U.S.
WASHINGTON
Earlier today, Stand Up America and End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund joined All Voting Is Local Action and MOVE Texas to respond to the onslaught of voter suppression legislation in states across the country and to call on the U.S. Senate to pass the For the People Act to ensure access to the ballot for all eligible Americans.
During a tele-press conference, the groups blasted the dark-money fueled campaign by GOP state lawmakers to restrict access to the ballot box--especially for voters of color--in states like Arizona, Georgia, and Texas. The groups emphasized the urgent need to pass the For the People Act in order to affirm and protect the right to vote for all Americans, and urged immediate action from the Senate to get the bill across the finish line.
"We are at a crossroads for American democracy. As Republican state legislatures sprint to suppress the vote, Congress has an historic opportunity to protect voting rights and restore faith in our political system," said Sean Eldridge, Stand Up America Founder and President. "Politicians should not be choosing their voters. Voters should choose their leaders. Passing the For the People Act would stop voter suppression in its tracks by creating national standards for voting access. As our senators return to Washington D.C. from recess, our message to them is that it's time to act."
"Our democracy works better when everyone has a voice, but dark money groups are working with self-serving politicians to put up barriers to voting in states across the county," said End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund President Tiffany Muller. "We can stop them. It starts with the For the People Act, which would end dark money, crack down on corruption in both parties, stop partisan gerrymandering, and protect Americans' freedom and right to vote. Making our government more accountable will lead to progress on issues important to Americans' lives, like the cost of health care or making the economy work for everyone. It's time for the Senate to get it done--period."
"What we're seeing in Texas at this moment is a full-on assault on the right to vote. Texas has a long, ugly, and racist history of voter suppression that continues to silence the voices of everyday Texans particularly Black, Brown, and first-time voters," said H. Drew Galloway, MOVE Texas Executive Director. "Texas desperately needs the For the People Act to provide protections and prevent the assault on our voting rights that's underway right now in Austin."
"In Arizona, we are seeing a coordinated attack on voting rights and democratic norms," said Alex Gulotta, Arizona state director of All Voting is Local Action. "It is urgently necessary that Congress transforms our democracy into one that represents, reflects, and responds to all Americans."
Passed by the House and under consideration in the Senate, the For the People Act (H.R. 1, S. 1) is a critical reform package--supported by an overwhelming majorityof Americans across party lines--to reduce the power of wealthy donors in our of politics, crack down on corruption, end partisan gerrymandering, and protect voting rights.
Stand Up America is a progressive advocacy organization with over two million community members across the country. Focused on grassroots advocacy to strengthen our democracy and oppose Trump's corrupt agenda, Stand Up America has driven over 600,000 phone calls to Congress and mobilized tens of thousands of protestors across the country.
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