For the People: Protecting Voters

To loosen the hold corporate money has on our country, we must build worker power, and to do that, we need the For the People Act. The bill, which has been given the designation H.R. 1 as a sign of its importance, passed the House of Representatives yesterday with a bipartisan vote of 221 to 201. All of the Democratic members of the House and three Republicans voted for the bill. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

"We know that those who have taken a sledgehammer to voting rights will only redouble their efforts in the wake of the 2020 elections," said CWA Senior Director for Government Affairs and Policy Shane Larson. "Even as our nation is facing so many different crises, we must make democracy reform an absolute top priority to ensure that for the next election cycle – which is already in full swing – we have fair elections. CWA members will be working to ensure the Senate passes the For the People Act in order to protect our democracy, including fighting for elimination of the filibuster, if necessary."

Because the For the People Act is one of the most important bills that Congress is considering, we have been sharing information in the CWA eNewsletter about how the bill ensures that eligible voters can participate in elections and reduces the role of large donations in political campaigns.

Last month, we highlighted how the For the People Act will give people more choices about where and when they vote and how it will update the voter registration process.

The bill would also establish a number of new protections for voters. First, it would prohibit the spread of misinformation about elections that aims to hinder or discourage voters, and increase penalties for voter intimidation. Second, it would require that states inform voters of polling place changes, ballot drop-off locations, and alternatives to presenting voter ID. Finally, the bill would establish a review process for changes to the voting process that disproportionately affect minority communities and create a system for detecting repeated instances of voting rights violations.

Laws regulating voting, the role of money in politics, and corporate lobbying have not kept up with changes in American politics. But corporate executives want to keep things the way they are so they can keep calling the shots. They're doing whatever they can, including spreading misinformation about the bill, to hold on to their power.

We can't let them get away with it. Tell your Senators that it is time to update our voting system to give every eligible voter the chance to vote. Click here to send an email.