WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Marc Veasey (TX-33) recently reintroduced the America Votes Act to protect U.S. citizens who face disenfranchisement because of restrictive voter identification (ID) laws. In 2021, Larsen and Veasey included the bill in the House-passed For The People Act, which did not receive a vote in the Senate last Congress.

How the America Votes Act Breaks Down Barriers to Voting

The America Votes Act establishes new federal protections for registered voters to affirm their identity by submitting a sworn, written statement, even if they do not have a government-issued ID. Voters who sign a sworn, written statement can vote using a standard, non-provisional ­­ballot. The legislation is modeled on a successful Washington state law that allows voters to affirm their identity by submitting a similar written statement along with their mail-in ballot.

Larsen and Veasey on the America Votes Act

Larsen and Veasey emphasized the importance of breaking down discriminatory barriers to voting.

“Congress should be looking for ways to break down barriers so citizens can fully participate in democracy and have their voices heard at the ballot box,” said Larsen, a co-founder of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus. “The America Votes Act builds on Washington state’s successful efforts to ensure election integrity while eliminating discriminatory laws that disenfranchise citizens and undermine democracy.”

"Many Americans have felt disenfranchised by unfair and unnecessary state voting laws intended to dissuade them from performing their civic duty,” said Veasey, a founder and co-chair of the Voting Rights Caucus. “The wave of discriminatory and restrictive photo voter ID laws active in the majority of the country simply undermine our democracy. That is why I am proud to re-introduce the America Votes Act with Rep. Larsen to help underrepresented groups exercise their right to vote by ensuring that they will not be turned away due to a lack of government identification."

Why Larsen and Veasey are Reintroducing the America Votes Act

Restrictive voter ID laws perpetuate systemic disenfranchisement of certain populations in the United States. February is Black History Month, a reminder of the discriminatory barriers to voting Black Americans have faced since the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1870. The Brennan Center estimates 25 percent of Black voting-age citizens do not have a form of government-issued ID, compared to just eight percent of white voting-age citizens.

Additionally, restrictive voter ID laws disenfranchise transgender Americans who might not have ID that correctly recognizes their gender. Of the nearly 700,000 transgender adults eligible to vote in states where elections are not conducted entirely by mail, an estimated 43 percent lack ID documents that reflect their correct name or gender.

Additional Information

To read the America Votes Act, click here.

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