Law Strengthening Student Voting Protections Passes House
HR 1, which empowers colleges to educate their students about voting, passes the House and is heading to the Senate
Washington, D.C. – Moments ago, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass HR 1, the For the People Act, a bill that would make sweeping reforms to improve the function of elections and increase governmental accountability. The bill includes several provisions contained in the Help Students Vote Act (HSVA) that would address the barriers that stop students from registering to vote and actually casting their ballot.
In response to today’s vote, Reid Setzer, Director of Public Policy for Young Invincibles, issued the following statement:
“In a time when voting is becoming more difficult for too many Americans, it’s encouraging to see our elected leaders take action to help young people get the information they need to register to vote, find their polling location, and actually vote. Today’s young people face their own unique set of challenges, and any bill designed to help students vote must recognize that reality. HR 1 does just that by offering real, practical solutions to ensure that students can get their questions answered by a trusted source right on their campus.
Today’s young people are the most diverse generation in history. Ensuring their voice is heard in the electoral process is a critical first step to creating a country where everyone — regardless of income, age, socioeconomic status, or any other factor — can have an equal voice in government.
We want to thank Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, John Lewis, Zoe Lofgren, and John Sarbanes for their leadership on behalf of today’s young people, who are eager to make their voice heard into 2020 and beyond.”
Among other provisions, the For the People Act would:
- Direct colleges to designate a campus administrator as “Campus Vote Coordinator” who will be the go-to source for students with questions about voter registration
- Ensure each campus is consistently communicating with students about voter registration deadlines and upcoming elections, and that voter registration forms are easily accessible
- Allow public and private institutions of higher education to apply for federal grants to expand nonpartisan student voter engagement efforts
Following the addition of the HSVA language during the markup process by the House Administrative Committee, Young Invincibles joined 31 other organizations to thank committee leadership for working to strengthen student voting protections.