Elections expert 'genuinely' doesn't understand Democrats' voting rights legislation strategy


"I don't know why the Democrats are doing what they're doing" in their effort to pass voting rights legislation, Jessica Huseman, an elections expert and the editorial director at Votebeat, told Politico. "I genuinely don't understand."
Huseman's point is that the party should be focusing on the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (or H.R. 4), which was introduced in 2019 and would restore and strengthen aspects of the original 1965 Voting Rights Act, as opposed to the more sweeping For the People Act (or H.R. 1). "I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility that this bill could create some bipartisan support," Huseman said.
While the makeup of the Senate means Democrats will struggle to get either bill through the upper chamber, H.R. 1 has almost no chance, especially considering Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) is the only Democratic senator who isn't co-sponsoring the bill, Politico notes.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rev. Al Sharpton agrees with Huseman, telling Politico that he thinks "the politics of public opinion says that H.R. 4 would be more difficult for the Republicans to justify opposing." Sharpton said he wants both bills passed ultimately, but added that H.R. 4 "takes the veil off those that are trying to obstruct voting rights." Read more at Politico.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
July 12 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include generational ennui, tariffs on Canada, and a conspiracy rabbit hole
-
5 unusually elusive cartoons about the Epstein files
Cartoons Artists take on Pam Bondi's vanishing desk, the Mar-a-Lago bathrooms, and more
-
Lemon and courgette carbonara recipe
The Week Recommends Zingy and fresh, this pasta is a summer treat
-
Iran still has enriched uranium, Israeli official says
Speed Read It remains unclear how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program following US and Israeli attacks
-
Trump U-turns on weapons to Ukraine
Speed Read Unhappy with Putin, Trump decides the US will go back to arming Ukraine against Russia's attacks
-
Ukraine scrambles as Trump cuts weapons deliveries
Speed Read The halting of weapons shipments was driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a Ukraine funding skeptic
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'
Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefire
Speed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
-
Israel strikes Iran, killing military and nuclear chiefs
Speed Read Israeli officials said the attack was a 'preemptive' strike on Iran's nuclear program