Since it was enacted in 1965, the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) has been a transformative piece of civil rights law intended to protect voters of color from practices that make it harder for them to vote and those that unfairly diminish their voting power.
The VRA has increased voter registration and turnout, uprooted racially discriminatory voting practices, and resulted in fairer representation and greater responsiveness of elected officials, all of which contribute to building a more democratic and just society.
Yet in recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has eroded long-standing voting rights protections under the VRA. A 2013 SCOTUS decision gutted Section 5 of the VRA, which required states and jurisdictions with documented histories of discrimination in voting to secure the federal government's approval before implementing changes to voting policies or practices that could harm voters of color. This decision unleashed a wave of anti-voter legislation across the country, and a 2021 decision made it more difficult to challenge these types of discriminatory voting laws in court. The erosion of the VRA has caused the racial turnout gap to grow across the country in the last decade, including in New Jersey.
Though New Jersey has taken important steps to protect and expand access to the ballot, many barriers still exist that disproportionately harm communities of color. New Jerseyans deserve better: a strong, inclusive, and representative democracy where every voice is heard.
The ACLU of New Jersey is working alongside partners to pass the New Jersey Voter Empowerment Act (NJVEA) to ensure that voting rights are protected and expanded for all.
The NJVEA would strengthen our democracy by restoring and modernizing the protections of the VRA to prevent racial discrimination in the voting process, reduce barriers to voting, increase language access and assistance, and prohibit deceptive practices at the polls.
At a time when voter suppression is on the rise across the nation, and the VRA remains under attack, New Jersey has an obligation to lead by example in protecting and strengthening voting rights. On this anniversary of the VRA, send a message to your elected officials and urge them to pass the New Jersey Voter Empowerment Act.
