Group supports federal voting bills

A line of people in front of the Exxon on Route 1 near Rehoboth Nov. 10 urged passersby to honk in favor of a federal voting bill.

The group met in support of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, two bills that are supported by Democrats in Congress and opposed by Republicans.

Both bills would replace some state control over elections with federal law.

The Freedom to Vote Act needed 60 votes in the U.S. Senate to advance but only received 49 votes in favor on Oct. 20. According to the Wall Street Journal, the bill would make Election Day a national holiday, require states to allow voters to register on the day of an election starting in November 2022, mandate 15 days of early voting, restore voting rights to felons who have completed their prison sentences, and force all states to allow mail-in voting, among other provisions. Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, changed his vote to no, a procedural move that would allow him to bring up the bill at a later date.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the John Lewis act in August, but it has not advanced in the Senate following a Nov. 3 vote. The bill would require that a state receive federal approval before making changes to voting procedure, such as imposing stricter voter ID requirements, or reducing the number of polling locations in diverse areas.