||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN (WA-02) |||
WASHINGTON, D.C. – [Yesterday], Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted for the most significant voting rights and democracy reform legislation in more than half a century. The For The People Act passed the House of Representatives by a final vote of 220 to 210.
The bold, comprehensive package includes Larsen’s bill to eliminate unnecessary, discriminatory voter ID barriers that disenfranchise citizens and undermine democracy. Larsen modeled the legislation on Washington state’s successful voting system that allows voters to affirm their identity through a sworn, written statement with a mail-in ballot.
“Congress should be looking for progressive solutions to break down barriers so all people can fully participate in democracy,” said Larsen, a cofounder of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus. “This bill returns power to the people and helps build a more equitable future by strengthening voting rights, expanding access to the ballot box, ending corruption, holding elected officials accountable and getting dark money out of politics.”
The For The People Act’s pro-democracy and anti-corruption reforms:
- Expand automatic and same-day voter registration
- Strengthen vote by mail, early voting and ballot access, including for servicemembers abroad and their families
- Combat voter intimidation and voter suppression
- Protect elections from foreign interference
- Fix partisan gerrymandering
- Promote digital advertisement transparency
- Force disclosure of dark money
- Rein in lobbyist influence
- Enforce ethics and conflict of interest rules for all government officials
Larsen is pushing to ensure all U.S. citizens, including historically disenfranchised citizens, who want to exercise the right to vote can vote. Yesterday, Larsen supported an amendment to H.R. 1 introduced by Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01) to restore the right to vote to U.S. citizens who are incarcerated or those completing probation or parole due to a felony conviction. According to The Sentencing Project, one out of 44 adults, or more than 2 percent of the total U.S. voting eligible population, is disenfranchised due to a current or previous felony conviction; one in 16 Black Americans of voting age is disenfranchised. Incarcerated individuals cannot vote in 48 states, including in Washington state.
For bill text of the For The People Act, click here.
For a summary of the bill, click here.
