Florida, Colorado, Maryland are on verge of passing historic state VRA’s 

Washington, D.C. —  On Wednesday, Common Cause advocates from Colorado, Florida, and Maryland held a briefing detailing their work to enact state-level Voting Rights Acts as the current administration works to erode constitutional protections. 

The state experts detailed their legislative work to ensure all eligible voters have equal and equitable access to the ballot, while the organization’s national voting rights expert provided updates on legislation moving at the federal level, including the recently re-introduced John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the SAVE Act.

Common Cause’s state Voting Rights legislation:

• Мэриленд: The Maryland Voting Rights Act of 2025, a package of four bills (SB 685/HB 983, HB 1043, HB 1044, и SB 342), that build on the Federal Voting Rights Act by enacting strong protections to ensure voters of color can fully participate in the electoral process. The package of bills accomplishes four main objectives: prohibits vote denial and dilution, expands language assistance in elections, stops voter intimidation, and halts discrimination before it occurs in high-risk places. 
• Florida: The Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Florida Voting Rights Act (HB 1409 and SB 1582) is a landmark bill that builds on key protections of the federal Voting Rights Act while repealing harmful, state-level anti-voter laws. It is intended to expand access to the ballot for all Floridians, while providing critical protections against discriminatory voting practices and policies. 
• Colorado: The Colorado Voting Rights Act (Bill 001) will codify in state law, and expand upon, the voter protections of the federal Voting Rights Act, prohibiting discrimination in elections and voting, and ensuring all eligible voters have the right to vote. The bill introduces new concepts to state VRA legislation, including explicit protections for LGBTQ+ voters and voters confined in jail during an election, and establishes a first-ever requirement for multilingual ballots in municipal elections.

A recording of the briefing can be viewed here. 

Select quotes from the briefing, in order of speakers, are below:

“With the federal government and federal courts no longer doing their jobs to protect Americans against voter suppression, it’s critical that states take the initiative to enshrine the protections of the federal Voting Rights Act into their respective state laws. 

The protections outlined in the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act represent a vision of the future, and of our democracy, that we are advocating for and working to make real in every state, and once again at the federal level.”

– Sylvia Albert, democracy and representation policy counsel, Common Cause 

“While Congress seeks to take away voting rights, we have an opportunity to defend and strengthen access to the ballot in Maryland. We have adopted some of the most progressive voting laws in the nation, but barriers that lead to voter suppression and discrimination are still evident and felt in many counties and municipalities that don’t have the legal tools and resources to address these election systems and policies.

The Maryland General Assembly can quickly assist these local governments by passing the Maryland Voting Rights Act. Unfortunately, we continue to see no movement on these bills. The Black and Latino Caucuses in Colorado support their VRA. All Democrats in Florida support their VRA. 81% of MD voters support a state VRA. It’s time that our legislators do the same.” 

– Joanne Antione, executive director, Common Cause Maryland

“Florida is facing dangerous backsliding on voting rights but we are fighting every step of the way to protect all Floridians’ access to the ballot and ensure we hold our policy makers accountable. The Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Florida Voting Rights Act is a bold, transformative step toward securing and expanding voting rights for all Floridians during a time of federal chaos. 

By expanding accessibility to the ballot and countering intimidation, the Florida Voting Rights Act takes significant strides towards fostering a fairer, more inclusive, and participatory electoral system in the Sunshine State.”

– Amy Keith, executive director, Common Cause Florida

“Our democracy can’t wait. That’s why we’ve moved to enact the Colorado Voting Rights Act, so that all Coloradans will have equal and equitable access to the ballot, free from discrimination, for generations to come — regardless of who is in power. 

As voting rights at the federal level face unprecedented threats, Colorado is proud to cut a different path and follow the legacy of abolitionist and civil rights leaders who fought for the equal right to vote for Black communities and other communities of color.” 

– Aly Belknap, executive director, Colorado Common Cause

Watch: How Three States are Protecting Voting Rights