Democrats put renewed focus on voting rights: What happened in 2021, and where do proposals stand now?
- In 2021, Republican-led states enacted a wave of restrictive voting laws.
- On Tuesday, Senate Democrats hope to open debate on voting rights legislation.
- The House OK’d a bill combining the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement and Freedom to Vote acts..
WASHINGTON – After a year that saw Republican-led states tightening election rules and failed congressional attempts to counter those restrictions amid more robust promotion of other priorities, Democrats in Washington have stepped into 2022 with a laser focus on voting rights legislation.
This week, they used Martin Luther King Jr. Day as the jumping-off point to take one of their most aggressive approaches yet: If they don’t pass legislation to strengthen voting protections, they’ll look at changing the Senate rules regarding the filibuster to get the job done.