Statement: Voter Participation Center and Center for Voter Information on Passage of H.R. 1, the For the People Act

Washington, DC, March 4, 2021 — Tom Lopach, President and CEO of the Voter Participation Center (VPC) and Center for Voter Information (CVI), released the following statement after the House passed H.R.1, the “For the People Act.” Since 2003, VPC and CVI have provided more than 5.7 million Americans with the tools and information they need to register and get to the polls. 

“The House of Representatives voted to strengthen democracy, protect the right to vote, and ensure that every American has equal access to the ballot box. If passed, this sweeping legislation will remove unnecessary barriers to voting that often lead to the disenfranchisement of voters of color. After record turnout in 2020, we saw that expanding early voting and enhancing absentee voting helped bring more people into the democratic process and ensured that more voices were heard. The “For the People Act” will codify the simple commonsense solutions that contributed to higher voter participation in 2020. 

“The passage of H.R. 1 comes at a critical time, as state lawmakers across the country have introduced more than 250 bills to make voting more difficult. The “For the People Act” will bring comprehensive, structural democracy reform, and ensure everyone can cast their ballot safely, conveniently, and securely. I urge the Senate to take up this legislation and send it to President Biden for his signature so every eligible voter has access to participate in our democracy.”

The Voter Participation Center and Center for Voter Information are non-profit, non-partisan organizations founded in 2003 to help members of the New American Majority – unmarried women, people of color and young people – register and vote. Since then, the organizations have helped 5.7 million people register and cast ballots.