The Freedom to Vote Act Should Remain a Priority

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Freedom to Vote Act was blocked from receiving a public floor debate in the U.S. Senate.

Trevor Potter, president of Campaign Legal Center and a Republican former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, issued the following statement:

While today’s lack of bipartisan support for a vote on the Freedom to Vote Act was not an enormous surprise, it was still disappointing to see this reaction to the most significant voting rights bill in a generation. This is a transformative piece of legislation that, if enacted, will increase Americans’ access to the ballot box, neutralize partisan and racial gerrymandering and increase transparency in our campaign finance system to counteract the impact of dark money secret spending.

In an era where we see politicians erecting deliberate barriers to voting, with both parties enacting partisan gerrymanders and dark money pouring into elections in as-yet-unseen amounts, this compromise legislation would provide some of the most comprehensive advances our democracy has seen in decades. Campaign Legal Center has urged Congress to address these issues and others included in the Freedom to Vote Act.

Every American voter should feel that they have an equal voice in our political system, and this legislation, supported by seven in 10 Americans, would help make the promise of democracy real for us all. Today’s vote cannot be the end – in order to ensure that democracy is working for all Americans, Congress should pass the Freedom to Vote Act.

At Campaign Legal Center, we are advancing democracy through law. Learn more about our work.