(Washington, DC) – Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted in favor of H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA), which seeks to restore Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) by developing a process to determine which states and localities with a recent history of voting rights violations over the last 25 years must preclear election changes with the Department of Justice. Congresswoman Fletcher is an original co-sponsor of this legislation, which passed the house 228 to 187.

“The right to vote is the very foundation of our democratic system. I am proud to join my colleagues in co-sponsoring this legislation. It was one of my first acts in Congress, because it is important to my constituents and to all Americans,” said Congresswoman Fletcher. “Our fellow citizens have fought and died to earn this right, to defend this right, and to ensure this right. We must never forget their sacrifice, their courage, and their belief in an America of, by, and for the people.”

The Voting Rights Advancement Act restores the protections and enforcement of the Voting Rights Act to its former strength after the 2013 Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder decision, where the Supreme Court ruled the formula determining which states were covered by the VRA – states which had barred minority voters from registering in 1965 – was outdated, invalidating the VRA's requirement that these states preclear election decisions with the Department of Justice.

Without federal protections against discrimination, states across the country have enacted new voter suppression tactics, including restrictive voter ID laws, reduced voting hours, closed polling places, and other measures that restrict voting. The VRAA responds to the wave of voter suppression tactics enacted by states and localities since that decision, requiring states with a recent history of voter discrimination to seek federal preclearance for election changes.