Washington, D.C. — An additional 3.8 million Americans would likely cast ballots in the upcoming general election if Congress had passed the Freedom to Vote Act (FTVA), according to a new analysis from the Center for American Progress.
The report also finds that nearly 8 million eligible Americans would have likely registered to vote as a result of access to automatic voter registration under the proposed legislation. That includes 1.2 million Black Americans, 640,000 Hispanic Americans, and 66,000 Asian Americans.
These dramatic numbers show why passing this legislation continues to be essential for strengthening American democracy by expanding access to the ballot box and ensuring Americans make their voices heard. Despite the critical need for it, the legislation has been blocked in the U.S. Senate by a minority of lawmakers through the use of the filibuster.
“The FTVA is needed now more than ever to strengthen U.S. elections and democracy, said Greta Bedekovics, author of the report and associate director of Democracy Policy at CAP. “That’s especially true at a time when Americans are increasingly losing faith in government and institutions.”
The FTVA would ensure that all eligible voters have access to automatic, same-day, and online voter registration. It would let voters cast their ballots in the way that works best for them, including by mail and early in person. These methods for voting and registering to vote have been standard practice in some states for decades, and the FTVA would ensure that Americans in all states have access to them. In addition, the legislation would strengthen voting rights, safeguard the electoral process, prohibit partisan gerrymandering, and curb dark money in politics.
If the legislation had been enacted ahead of the 2024 general election, this analysis finds that:
- Nearly 8 million eligible Americans would have likely newly registered to vote, including 1.2 million Black Americans, 640,000 Hispanic Americans, and 66,000 Asian Americans, as a result of automatic voter registration.
- As many as 3.8 million additional voters would likely cast a ballot, including more than 600,000 Black voters, as a result of automatic voter registration.
- As many as 1.1 million more Hispanic Americans would likely turn out to vote as a result of same-day voter registration.
- As many as 1.1 million additional youth voters would likely cast a ballot as a result of same-day voter registration.
- Approximately 3.3 million American citizens would have regained their right to vote and be eligible to cast a ballot.
- Approximately 4.9 million voters would likely cast a ballot by mail rather than in person because of access to no-excuse voting by mail.
- As many as 1.7 million more voters would likely vote early in person with access to two weeks of early in-person voting.
- Nearly 950 additional mail-in ballot drop boxes would be available across the country, and 1.7 million more voters would likely return their ballot to a drop box.
Read the report: “Pass the Freedom to Vote Act: How Elections Would Look Different This Year, and in the Future” by Greta Bedekovics
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected]