Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday a number of measures intended to protect the right to vote across the country, including boosting staff and purview of the department’s civil rights division, as Republican lawmakers in various states move to restrict voting after the 2020 election.

What You Need To Know

  • Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday a number of measures intended to protect the right to vote across the country

  • The AG announced new enforcement staff to come within the Civil Rights Division and provide clear guidance to states as they redraw legislative maps

  • The speech came as GOP lawmakers across the country have proposed new restrictions on voting access in response to the 2020 election

  • Garland called voting rights a "central pillar" of American democracy and promised the department would fiercely protect those rights, especially for people of color

On Friday, Garland spoke from the Department of Justice headquarters, where he outlined the history of voting rights from their inception in the 18th century and their evolution throughout American presidencies, from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to present day.

Pointing to instances of historic voting restrictions, especially on Black Americans, the attorney general announced Friday that the department will double the number of enforcement staff within the Civil Rights Division to protect the right to vote.

In addition, the department is reviewing both new and current voting laws across the United States “to determine whether they discriminate against black voters and other voters of color.” 

“We are scrutinizing new laws that seek to curb voter access, and where we see violations, we will not hesitate to act,” Garland said.

“Particularly concerning … are several studies showing that, in some jurisdictions, non-white voters must wait in line substantially longer than white voters to cast their ballots,” he added.

Garland invoked the name and words of the late congressman John Lewis, a champion of civil and voting rights and the model for a major voting rights bill Democrats introduced last legislative session.

“When you see something that is not right, you must say something,” the attorney general said. “The Department of Justice will always stand up to ensure the survival of the central pillar of our democracy.”

He urged passage of the For the People Act, which is in the hands of the Senate, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which has not yet been introduced this Congress. 

The attorney general also announced that the department would provide states and localities with guidance to “make clear the voting protections that apply to all jurisdictions” as they redraw their district maps ahead of the next election.

His speech came days after Texas Democrats narrowly blocked proposed legislation that would make it easier to overturn elections in the state, limit voting hours and make it harder to vote by mail.

The state lawmakers, who staged a dramatic walkout to prevent the bill’s passage, will meet with Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House next Wednesday.

Republican lawmakers have proposed measures across the country in the name of “election integrity,” pointing to the 2020 election in which voters turned out in record numbers despite pandemic logistics.

There is no evidence of widespread or significant voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Already, GOP-led states Florida and Georgia have passed new restrictions on voting this year.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a controversial bill into law that would restrict ballot boxes, change rules at polling places and up the requirements for voter registration.

Georgia lawmakers passed an even stricter measure, which cuts the time voters can request absentee ballots, requires a photo ID for mail-in voting, limits ballot boxes and mobile voting centers and restricts early voting, among other changes.

On Friday, Garland highlighted the absence of a modern preclearance provision, something established in the original Voting Rights Act. It allowed the Department of Justice to review changes in election procedures to make sure they weren’t discriminatory. 

A 2013 Supreme Court decision, Shelby County v. Holder , essentially did away with that requirement. 

Garland also promised DOJ support to Congress as they consider voting rights, and he pledged prosecution of increasing attacks on poll workers, which can violate federal law. 

“We have learned much about what supports a healthy democracy,” he said. “That means ensuring that all eligible voters can cast a vote, that all lawful votes are counted and that every voter has access to accurate information.”