FACING A WAVE OF VOTER SUPPRESSION, AMERICA NEEDS THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ACT

Jump to today’s actions:

Call the Senate
Call the House

Background

Like all presidential elections, 2020 was a competition of ideas. Voters chose decency and competency over cruelty and corruption.

Biden’s victory was powered by an enormous turnout of Black Americans who gave him 87% of their votes.

So, Republicans are retaliating in state legislatures with hundreds of voter suppression bills. Republicans are able to do this because of a 2013 Supreme Court decision that gutted the discrimination protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, now before Congress, will reinstate those protections.

It provides the legal tools to block official acts of racial discrimination in elections by again requiring preclearance for:

Changing documents required to vote.
Reducing polling locations.
Changing election practices such as early voting.

Without it, Republican racism will be locked into politics for a generation. That’s because, for the first time since 1965, legislative districts will be drawn without the Voting Rights Act’s key protections.

Moreover, SCOTUS is now deciding two Arizona cases that could shred what’s left of the Act.

Our urgent fight to save democracy now is to strengthen voting protections. Join the push for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and enlist your MOCs to join you.

1. Call the Senate.

Script Oregon Senators

SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753

My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Thank you for your support for S1. Now we need to address the hundreds of voter suppression bills working through state legislatures. To do that, we need you to champion the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, too. The Act also mends the damage done by the Supreme Court’s shredding of protections against racial discrimination. Without the Act, we will suffer another generation of (minority) Republican control.

SEN. WYDEN: Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Thank you for your support for S1. Now we need to address the hundreds of voter suppression bills working through state legislatures. To do that, we need you to champion the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, too. The Act also mends the damage done by the Supreme Court’s shredding of protections against racial discrimination. Without the Act, we will suffer another generation of (minority) Republican control.

Script for Republican Senators

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].

If you believe in democracy, work to allow the opportunity for everyone to vote. Stop undermining our democracy. If Republicans don’t have a vision of the future that voters want, you will continue to lose.

2. Call the House.

Look up your rep.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Thank you for your support for HR 1. Now we need to address the hundreds of voter suppression bills working through state legislatures. To do that, we need you to champion the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. The Act also mends the damage done by the Supreme Court’s shredding of protections against racial discrimination. Without the Act, we will suffer another generation of (minority) Republican control.

Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)

Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

If you believe in democracy, work to allow the opportunity for everyone to vote. Stop undermining our democracy. If Republicans don’t have a vision of the future that voters want, you will continue to lose.

Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Thank you for your support for HR 1. Now we need to address the hundreds of voter suppression bills working through state legislatures. To do that, we need you to champion the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. The Act also mends the damage done by the Supreme Court’s shredding of protections against racial discrimination. Without the Act, we will suffer another generation of (minority) Republican control.

Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)

Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Thank you for your support for HR 1. Now we need to address the hundreds of voter suppression bills working through state legislatures. To do that, we need you to champion the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. The Act also mends the damage done by the Supreme Court’s shredding of protections against racial discrimination. Without the Act, we will suffer another generation of (minority) Republican control.

Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)

Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

hank you for your support for HR 1. Now we need to address the hundreds of voter suppression bills working through state legislatures. To do that, we need you to champion the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. The Act also mends the damage done by the Supreme Court’s shredding of protections against racial discrimination. Without the Act, we will suffer another generation of (minority) Republican control.

Action 3 - Help Pass For the People Act in the Senate

Help us mobilize activists in other states to contact their MoCs Senators and urge them to support the For the People Act. We’ll have events at 4p on Friday, March 19th and at noon on Saturday, March 20th. Look for sign-up links on the Indivisible Oregon website and here in Action 3 later in the week.