This week House Democrats are bringing H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019, to the Floor. This legislation will require certain states and jurisdictions to obtain pre-clearance from the Justice Department before making any changes to their voting laws. This bill directly undermines voter ID laws.
Democrats claim voter ID laws restrict voters and favor Republican turnout. In reality, voter ID laws seek to prevent voter fraud and maintain the integrity of an election. A study done by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that between 2008 and 2016, voter ID laws had “no negative effect on registration or turnout, overall or for any specific group defined by race, gender, age or party affiliation.”
And, in 2013 the Supreme Court majority opinion in Shelby County v. Holder found that elections are under the purview of state governments, not the federal government. Because of this, several measures in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were found unconstitutional. In its decision, the Supreme Court invalidated the formula indicating which states were subject to preclearance requirements and left in place the ban on voting discrimination. This allowed states their Tenth Amendment right to determine their election laws.
H.R. 4 seeks to take away this Constitutional right and have the federal government set up every state’s election system. This is another Democrat power grab and attempts to ensure elections swing their way.
Please call or email your Representative and ask them to oppose H.R. 4.
Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121