Voting
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Voting Rights The Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 Throughout our nation’s history, Americans have protested, marched, shed blood, and died for the right to vote. More than 50 years ago, Congress passed, and President Lyndon Johnson signed, the Voting Rights Act. The law served our nation very well for decades by prohibiting voter disenfranchisement schemes. Among the law’s critical tools was its “pre-clearance” requirement. It mandated federal review and approval of any changes to election laws made by several states with a history of voter discrimination. However, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the preclearance requirement in its 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision. Since the court’s decision, several states have implemented voter identification laws, closed polling places, shortened early voting, and taken other measures to restrict voting.
Congresswoman Trahan is an original cosponsor of the Voting Rights Advancement Act. If enacted, this legislation would effectively reverse the Shelby decision and restore the preclearance requirement. Thus, it would prevent many of the voter suppression tactics that have been employed in recent years. Our democracy is strongest when every American can participate in it. Congresswoman Trahan will continue to work with her colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance legislation that works for the people and preserves our democratic system. For the People Act H.R. 1, the For the People Act, will help to regain Americans’ trust in the political system by implementing automatic voter registration across the country, expanding early voting, banning voter purges, strengthening disclosure requirements for political campaign expenditures and donors, and fortifying ethics laws by requiring presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns. Congresswoman Trahan secured House passage of her two amendments to H.R. 1: a provision enhancing ballot access for the families of our brave servicemembers in uniform; and 2: a provision prohibiting the agents of foreign governments from exercising influence over the drawing of new congressional districts. Learn more HERE. SAFE Act The Securing America’s Federal Elections Act mandates strict cybersecurity standards for election technology vendors and voting systems, ensuring that voting machines are manufactured in the US. This bill also requires post-election audits that help detect inaccuracies to strengthen election integrity. Learn more HERE. 
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