Resolution on Expanding Voter Access

Adopted by the 2021 Delegates Assembly

Sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women, Jewish Labor Committee, Union for Reform Judaism, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta, and Jewish Community Relations Council of Louisville

As recognized in resolutions adopted by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs in 2011 and 2017: “The cornerstone of democracy is the election process. […] The Jewish people have long been committed to ensuring that all eligible citizens are afforded the opportunity to vote and have their votes counted.” The 2020 election had the largest voter turnout in more than 100 years, including 100 million people who voted early by mail or in-person — all with no evidence of systemic voter fraud. States’ efforts to make voting safer in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic not only achieved that goal, but made elections more accessible in many communities. These positive changes should now be made permanent. Instead, the expanded franchise has become the target of anti-democratic forces that hope to roll back these reforms and pass more restrictive measures that would suppress the vote. Our vote is our voice, and we must also protest efforts to circumscribe the rights of other voters. We are obligated to speak up and take action to ensure that every eligible person can cast a vote and have that vote counted.

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs believes that:

• Record voter turnout demonstrates that the election administration changes necessitated by the pandemic, including, but not limited to, expanded vote by mail, should be made permanent to encourage Americans’ robust participation in democracy.
• Recent voter suppression efforts are a disservice to democracy with particularly negative impacts on Black, Indigenous, Latinx, disabled, transgender, low-income, young, and elderly voters.
• Comprehensive solutions at the federal, state, and local levels are needed to combat voter suppression, particularly among voters of color.
• Changes to election administration can have a discriminatory, suppressive effect on access to the ballot, even if there is no intent to discriminate.
• Efforts to suppress the will of voters, based on the discredited narrative of widespread voter fraud pushed by some leaders at the state and national levels, are on the rise and include elements of violence, white supremacy, and antisemitism.

The Jewish community relations field should:

• Advocate at the state and federal level to pass legislation to make voting more accessible, consistent with existing JCPA’s voting- and elections-related resolutions, including, but not limited to, those passed in 2001, 2006, 2011, 2017, and 2020.
• Advocate at the federal level for increased funding to states to invest in election security, election administration and modernization, and efforts to make voting easier.
• Advocate at the state level to oppose efforts to suppress the vote.
• Develop relationships with county and state election administrators to address issues and questions and increase confidence in the election system.
• Educate our communities about voter suppression efforts and oppose all efforts to spread misinformation about widespread voter fraud, for which there is no credible evidence.