WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) introduced the Right to Vote Act, legislation to create the first-ever affirmative federal voting rights guarantee for all eligible citizens. As the Trump Administration continues to threaten the voting rights of millions of Americans nationwide, this legislation would enshrine the fundamental right to vote into law.
“Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than ensuring that all citizens can exercise their fundamental right to vote. Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans know their agenda is deeply unpopular, but instead of delivering for the American people, they are working overtime to disenfranchise millions of voters who have the constitutional right to vote them out of office,” said Senator Hirono. “By empowering voters to fight back against restrictions on their voting rights, this legislation will help ensure that every voice can be heard on Election Day.”
The Right to Vote Act would protect American citizens’ fundamental right to vote by establishing a first-ever statutory right to vote in federal elections — protecting U.S. citizens from laws that make it harder to cast a ballot. This legislation would allow Americans to enforce that right by challenging in court any policy that unduly restricts ballot access. States attempting to restrict voting access would have to meet a high bar to justify any policy that makes it harder for U.S. citizens to participate in federal elections.
Senator Hirono has long fought to ensure all American voters can cast their ballots. On the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Senator Hirono introduced the Time Off to Vote Act, legislation that would require employers to provide at least two consecutive hours of paid leave in order to vote in federal elections. Last Congress, she joined her colleagues on National Voter Registration Day in introducing a resolution recognizing September as “National Voting Rights Month.” Additionally, Senator Hirono has previously cosponsored the Election Worker Protection Act and the Youth Voting Rights Act, legislation that would also help increase election safeguards and voting access.
Senator Hirono has also consistently fought back against repeated attempts to disenfranchise millions of voters. Following the Supreme Court’s Callais decision, which effectively gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Senator Hirono raised alarms about the dangerous ideological agenda promoted by the Supreme Court majority that would dilute the voting power of minorities, influencing elections for years to come. In March, on the Senate Floor, Senator Hirono opposed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act which, unlike its name suggests, would make it significantly harder for Americans to exercise their right to vote. In her speech, she highlighted how the proposed legislation would prevent millions of American citizens—including servicemembers and their families, married women, and those without a passport— from being able to vote.
In addition to Senators Hirono and Ossoff, the Right to Vote Act is co-sponsored by Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Alex Padilla (D-CA).
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