By Terri Sewell
Congresswoman Sewell is the U.S. Representative for Alabama’s 7th congressional district. 

The courageous Foot Soldiers of the voting rights movement prayed for, marched for and were willing to die for the right to vote.

Our vote has been consecrated by their sacrifice, and the unwavering heroism they demonstrated by walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

The landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 was born out of the struggle for voting equality, and addressed the need to expand federal voting protections so that no citizen is denied his or her constitutionally-guaranteed right to vote.

In 2013, the Supreme Court gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act that determined which jurisdictions need to seek permission from the U.S. Department of Justice before changing their electoral laws.

Since then, we have witnessed a steady erosion of federal voter protections and a renewed assault on our sacred right to vote in the form of photo IDs and other tactics designed to suppress voter turnout.

Congress cannot stand idly by as localities erect unnecessary barriers to the ballot box.

The Supreme Court has issued us a challenge, and that challenge is to find a modern-day formula that applies to jurisdictions with a recent history of racial discrimination in voting. The Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 meets that challenge.

I worked alongside Reps. Linda Sanchez and Judy Chu and Senators Leahy, Durbin and Coons to create a new legal framework that addresses the continued need for federal voting protections.The fate of our democracy rests in our hands.

When we restrict the right to vote, we are silencing voices within our electorate.

Our democracy works best whenever all eligible voters have unfettered, and unrestricted access to the ballot box.