WASHINGTON, D.C.

This week, California U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the ten-year anniversary of Shelby v. Holder, the Supreme Court decision that struck down the preclearance formula for Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, eliminating protections against state-level voter suppression efforts. 

Padilla called out the widespread voter suppression laws that he says Republicans have enacted since Shelby v. Holder including strict voter ID laws, purging voter rolls, and limiting vote-by-mail and early voting. He urged his colleagues to restore key components of the Voting Rights Act by passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act to protect the fundamental right to vote for all eligible Americans.

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Padilla also recognized California’s leadership on voting rights. As California Secretary of State, he implemented automatic and same-day voter registration, upgraded California’s voting systems to meet higher security standards, and expanded mail-in and in-person early voting – increasing access to the ballot box for millions of newly registered voters.