As of late May 2021, fourteen states have enacted 22 new laws making it harder to vote. Most of the new laws make it harder to vote absentee and by mail, after a record number of Americans voted by mail in November. Overall, since the November 2020 election, the Brennan Center has identified at least 389 bills introduced in 48 states that include provisions that would restrict voting access. We must pass the For the People Act to protect and expand voting rights.
The For the People Act of 2021 (H.R. 1) passed the House of Representatives on March 3, 2021. The Senate version of the bill, which has been designated S. 1 and tracks closely to the House's language, was introduced on March 17, 2021. The Senate is expected to vote on the For the People Act in June 2021.
This historic legislation would:
If passed, most of these reforms would be implemented for the November 2022 general election, with the exception of some redistricting and public financing changes that would go into effect later.
The Brennan Center provides a robust analysis of the bill in their Annotated Guide to the For the People Act of 2021.