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At a rally to mark the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Sen. Bernie Sanders called out the “political cowards” in the Republican Party who are trying to take away the right to vote from millions of Americans. Sanders also unveiled two new pro-voting pieces of legislation.

Via the office of Sen. Sanders:

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The court ruling that gutted the enforcement provision in the voting rights law “unleashed a torrent of state legislation which is disenfranchising voters all over the country,” Sanders said at the event hosted by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Drum Major Institute.

He branded as “political cowards” state lawmakers who exploited the court ruling to enact laws designed to suppress voter participation. “If we believe in a vibrant democracy, we want to have the highest voter turnout in the world.”

One of the two bills Sanders formally introduced yesterday would require states to automatically register all eligible individuals to vote when they turn 18 years old. The legislation is supported by the Brennan Center for Justice, Dēmos, Common Cause, the Communications Workers of America and other organizations.

The other bill would establish Election Day as a national holiday. “We should be doing everything possible to make it easier for people to participate in the political process. Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote. While this would not be a cure-all, it would indicate a national commitment to create a vibrant democracy.”

Republicans are political cowards who can’t win with their ideas, so they try to win by rigging the electorate in their favor. Election Day should be a national holiday, and same-day voter registration should be available in every state.

It has been repeatedly proven that voter fraud is not a problem. The pretense of voter fraud has been used by Republicans to target voters who are most likely to support Democrats. The reality is that Democrats don’t have to cheat to win elections. They already hold positions that are popular with the majority on most issues.

Instead of changing their positions, Republicans are trying to cheat their way back to the White House. Someday when Democrats control both Congress and the White House, they should renew the Voting Rights Act and make Election Day a national holiday.

Until that time comes, Democrats and their allies like Sen. Sanders, have to continue to fight the good fight to make sure that voters are not silenced and marginalized.