Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller
Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

How the Democrats propose to expand voting and change election law

People at voting booths.
Voters cast their ballots at the Dilworth Community Center in Dilworth, Minn., on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2020.
Ann Arbor Miller for MPR News file 2020

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

In early March, the Democratically controlled U.S. House passed an expansive voting reform bill. Called the For the People Act, it would make major changes to laws that govern campaigns and voting.

It has little hope of passing the split Senate, thanks to the filibuster. But that hasn’t stopped both sides from crying foul.

Republicans have attacked the bill — also known as HR1 in its House form and S1 in the Senate — as a partisan power grab that will damage democracy. Democrats argue the bill is the only way to preserve democracy in the face of widespread Republican efforts to restrict voting access and spread disinformation claiming that voter fraud cost former President Donald Trump the 2020 election. 

The bill is massive — more than 800 pages. So Monday, MPR News host Kerri Miller dove in, with the help of two guests who are experts in voter rights, and examined what it really does. Will this proposal federalize elections and take too much power away from the states? Or is an overhaul necessary to stop some states from suppressing the vote?

Guests:

  • Marcia Johnson-Blanco is the co-director of the Voting Rights Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.  

  • Ari Berman is a journalist and author of “Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America.”

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS