Democrats in the House, including civil rights legend Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), are reintroducing a bill that would expand early voting as well as online and same day voter registration. Among other provisions, the Voter Empowerment Act would also prevent states from denying ex-felons the right to vote, limiting such restrictions only to felons serving prison terms at the time of an election. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is introducing a companion bill in the Senate.
The bill comes after President Obama decried long election lines in his victory speech last November and again in his inaugural speech on Monday.
