We stand for

the equal right

to vote

No matter your zip code, race, ethnicity, color, who you vote for, what language you speak, or whether you are our customers, one thing is clear: we all value the right to vote, and believe that all eligible Americans should have free, fair, and safe access to this fundamental right.

This is why more than 240 companies and business organizations of all sizes and sectors from across the country have come together to urge Congress to introduce and pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, to make fair and safe access to voting real for all. Because the freedom to vote is everyone’s business.

Statement on Senate Introduction of S.4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021

October 5, 2021

Over 220 companies of all sizes from every corner of the country and doing business in diverse sectors of the economy united earlier this summer to call on Congress to build on its history of bipartisan support for the Voting Rights Act and ensure that voting rights are protected for all of America’s citizens. Although our companies serve different customers and communities, we – Business for Voting Rights – agree that all eligible Americans should have free, fair, and safe access to this fundamental right, regardless of their race or ethnicity.

Today, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to move us closer as a country toward achieving that goal. This bill would revive a powerful tool to stop discriminatory election rule changes before they can cause harm, establish a more transparent system for voters when election rules are changed, and restore the ability to challenge discriminatory election rules in court.

Business for Voting Rights is proud to support commonsense legislation like the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and we urge all members of Congress regardless of party to stand on the right side of history and support the protection of voting rights.

The right to vote transcends partisan politics and is foundational to our democracy. Every reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act has been signed into law by a Republican president and received strong bipartisan support in Congress, including unanimous support in the Senate in 2006. We urge Congress to come together again and pass this critical bill for the health of America’s democracy and economy.

Excerpt from our July 14 business letter to Congress

In the 2020 election, Americans came together to work the polls, get out the vote, and cast their ballots in spite of the pandemic, achieving historic levels of voter participation. The business community is proud of our role in encouraging our employees, customers, and communities to exercise their right to vote and have a say in our government. Widespread civic engagement is essential to a stable society and robust economy. Our democracy is strongest, as Congressman Lewis knew, when we all can vote.

At the same time, the election highlighted deep inequities in how our elections are run. Despite decades of progress, impediments to exercising the right to vote persist in many states, especially for communities of color. We need federal protections to safeguard this fundamental right for all Americans.

To this end, the undersigned group of U.S. employers urges Congress to address these problems through legislation amending the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

While each of our companies is unique, we are united in the belief that every American deserves a voice in our democracy. It is our government’s role to ensure voting is accessible to all. We urge Congress to add to the legacy of Representative Lewis by passing Voting Rights Act legislation that assures that every voice is heard.

Read the full letter and list of signatories »