Edwin J. Viera, Public News Service
New York groups are building support with federal lawmakers for several voting-rights bills.
In passing the Freedom to Vote Act, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Native American Voting Rights Act, some hope to clarify how people can access their ballot. New York has passed a series of voting-rights protections since 2020, although attacks on them persist.
Retired teacher Chaitram Aklu, a member of the American Federation of Teachers, said the federal bills create fair elections.
“The John Lewis Act provides for federal review of changes to ensure that new changes are not discriminatory,” he said. “I think that’s very, very important, and also the equal access to the ballot box.”
Aklu added that the Freedom to Vote Act can modernize and expand voting opportunities. However, he said he feels states can do more to improve ballot-box access. He’s had his polling place change several times, although he wasn’t told about it, and said improving communication with voters and providing public service announcements about where to vote can fix this.
Aklu said eligible voters shouldn’t have trouble knowing where to cast their ballot. However, improving ballot access and modernizing voting costs money. The 2020 Congressional and Presidential elections were the costliest in U.s. history.
Christine Wood, co-director of Declaration for American Democracy, said the Freedom to Vote Act has provisions to improve campaign finance regulations.
“In the Freedom to Vote Act, there are something called State Innovation Funds, which would allow states to explore programs like small-donor public financing for House candidates that volunteer to opt into that system,” she said. “That would address the issue of money in politics, for example, by amplifying the voice of small donors.”
Paying for the State Innovation Fund would come from fines and fees collected from corporations breaking that law. Wood said the bill is careful to ensure the burden isn’t on taxpayers but on those limiting the impact smaller everyday donors have on Congressional candidates.