# Summary of S. 4, John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2024
This bill substantially expands federal voting rights protections by strengthening the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The legislation broadens the definition of voting discrimination to cover vote dilution (reducing the power of certain groups' votes), vote denial (making it harder to cast a ballot), and actions intended to discriminate, using a "totality of circumstances" test that considers factors like racial polarization, voter ID requirements, and discrimination in other areas like education. It replaces the old coverage formula with a new one that covers any state or political subdivision with at least 15 voting rights violations in the previous 25 years, or 10 violations if committed by the state itself.
The bill introduces "practice-based preclearance," requiring states and localities with certain demographic characteristics to get federal approval before implementing changes to voting methods, redistricting, voter ID requirements, multilingual materials, and voter list maintenance. It also establishes transparency requirements, mandating that jurisdictions publicly disclose voting changes within 48 hours and provide information about polling place resources before federal elections. The law grants private citizens and the Attorney General stronger enforcement tools, including easier access to courts for preventive relief and authority for the Attorney General to demand voting-related documents from election officials.
Additionally, the bill extends bilingual election requirements to 2037, protects election workers and polling places from intimidation and violence with criminal penalties up to six months imprisonment, and provides grants to small jurisdictions to help comply with voting rights notice requirements. The legislation makes specific findings about voting discrimination and creates new definitions for Indian tribes and Indian lands to extend protections to Native American voters.
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