Most State Legislatures Have Adjourned. Here's What You Need to Know on Democracy Legislation

With most 2023 state legislative sessions in the rearview mirror, there is much to celebrate on the democracy front. Between January 1 and May 29, at least 13 states enacted 19 laws expanding voting rights, according to a June Brennan Center report.

States like Minnesota took advantage of their newfound Democratic trifecta from the 2022 midterm cycle to pass an omnibus bill of voting rights legislation. Meanwhile other states like New Mexico and Connecticut passed state-level Voting Rights Acts in response to congressional inaction.

Here are some of the democracy wins in 2023 so far:

• New Mexico: In March, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed HB4, legislation to expand voting rights by restoring voting rights for over 11,000 New Mexicans affected by discriminatory felony disenfranchisement laws, improving ballot access for Tribal communities, and allowing New Mexicans to opt into a permanent mail-in voting list. Stand Up America’s members in New Mexico drove more than 2,500 calls and emails encouraging lawmakers to pass the New Mexico Voting Rights Act. Stand Up America also ran statewide digital ads encouraging lawmakers to pass the voting rights measure.

• Minnesota: This session, Governor Tim Walz signed two bills to strengthen democracy in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. First, the governor signed HF 28, legislation to restore voting rights to over 50,000 Minnesotans on probation and parole. Second, the governor signed the Democracy for the People Act (SF 3), legislation to enact automatic voter registration, prohibit foreign corporations from donating to political campaigns and spending on elections, and expand access for voters who speak English as a second language. Stand Up America members drove more than 1,700 calls and emails to lawmakers and sent over 200,000 peer-to-peer texts in support of both bills.

• Connecticut: This session, Connecticut lawmakers passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Act of Connecticut, a pro-democracy package that will create stronger protections against voter intimidation, launch a pre-clearance program that requires local governments with a history of discrimination to prove election changes won’t harm voters of color before going into effect, and expand language assistance for voters with limited English proficiency. The bill, which was included in the legislature’s annual state budget, was signed by Governor Ned Lamont in June. Stand Up America members in Connecticut drove nearly 1,000 calls and emails to lawmakers in support of the bill.

• New York: This session, Stand Up America helped pass legislation to expand early voting options to include an early vote-by-mail choice for all New Yorkers. The bill was introduced and passed both the Assembly and Senate in just eight days. During the short campaign, Stand Up America’s New York members drove nearly 1,500 calls and emails to lawmakers in eight days. We have worked with coalition partners across the state to encourage Governor Kathy Hochul to swiftly sign the bill. Additionally, in May, New York State Legislature passed critical funding for the state’s recently launched small-dollar matching program. The voluntary public financing program, which passed the legislature in 2020, allows candidates for state legislative and statewide offices to access public matching funds based on the small-dollar donations they raise in order to reduce the impact of wealthy donors. It is the first statewide small-dollar matching program in the country.

Although many states have closed their legislative sessions, there is still work to be done in states that have year-long sessions and key elections before the end of the year. States like Michigan and New Jersey are just getting started with their legislative actions.

Here are some of the democracy fights we are still working on in the states this year:

• Michigan: Even with narrow legislative majorities, Michigan Democrats have tallied important legislative victories this session, including repealing Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban. But there are a few more bills Stand Up America members are working to pass. The first is the Michigan Voting Rights Act, a legislative package championed by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to strengthen Michiganders’ freedom to vote. If passed into law, the Michigan Voting Rights Act would protect voters’ access to the ballot and prohibit future voter suppression, improve accessibility for the elderly and voters with disabilities, and ensure that bad actors can be held accountable for violating the freedom to vote. The second bill would add Michigan to the National Popular Vote Compact, an agreement between states to award their Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote. Passage in Michigan would bring the current total to 210 electoral votes.

• New Jersey: New Jersey Democrats have until December to pass meaningful voting rights legislation this session. Stand Up America members are advocating for the state to pass a Voting Rights Act and same day registration for voters ahead of the 2023 and 2024 elections. New Jersey must step up to protect voting rights – especially as they fall behind neighboring states such as New York and Connecticut.

To speak with a Stand Up America representative about their work to pass state legislation on voting rights, please don’t hesitate to reach out to press@standupamerica.com.