Defend The Vote Action Fund Releases 2024 Legislative Scorecard

Scorecard tracks every Member of Congress on bills to ensure our democracy works for everyone, as well as destructive legislation that attacks core rights and freedoms

In recognition of the 59th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), Defend The Vote Action Fund, one of the nation’s leading pro-democracy organizations, today released its 2024 legislative scorecard for the 118th Congress. 

The Scorecard tracks the support of Members of Congress for bills that ensure our democracy works for everyone as well as whether they oppose destructive legislation that attacks the core rights and freedoms of American citizens.  

“Fifty-nine years after the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, our nation is once again at an inflection point. The attacks on our freedoms and democracy continue to intensify,” DTV Action Fund Executive Director Brian Lemek said. “We need Members of Congress who will side with the Constitution and the rule of law, fight to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to vote in safe, accessible elections, and work to give the people a voice in the system, not just wealthy and corporate interests.”

View The Scorecard Here

Lemek continued, “We tracked every member of Congress and found Democrats overwhelmingly committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of American citizens, while Republicans unfortunately have taken the side of election deniers and MAGA extremists.” 

Among other bills Defend The Vote scored, key legislation includes the Freedom To Vote Act and John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which Democrats have put at the top of their agenda, designating them S.1.and H.R. 1/11 and S. 4 and H.R. 4/14 respectively for the last three consecutive Congresses. They have committed to doing so again next Congress. See the full list of bills scored here

Defend The Vote Action Fund advocates for legislation to defend and strengthen our democracy and to hold members accountable to their commitment to voting rights. 

On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the VRA into law. It was one of the most successful civil rights laws in our nation’s history, blocking thousands of discriminatory voting laws before they could take effect. In 2013, the extreme conservative majority of the Supreme Court began gutting the law, starting with the Shelby v Holder decision.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Act and Freedom to Vote Act together would restore the VRA’s power, while setting national standards to protect ballot access, end gerrymandering, and protect poll workers and voters from harassment as well as ban Dark Money.