Retiring Maryland Rep. Sarbanes says he will continue fighting for election reform

“Whether I’m in this chamber as a lawmaker and a representative, or whether I’m out in the country…as part of a broader democracy team, I’m very focused on keeping up the fight,” Sarbanes told Capital News Service in an interview.

Sarbanes is the lead sponsor of the Freedom to Vote Act, a bill that aims to set national standards to remove barriers to vote and address campaign finance issues.

The bill would require all states to have at least two weeks of early voting, allow for same-day voter registration, permit over 20 document options for voter identification, adhere to new congressional redistricting standards and implement a national automatic voter registration system.

Sarbanes’ legislation would also establish Election Day as a federal holiday and make it a criminal offense to interfere with someone registering to vote.

Before the Freedom to Vote Act, Sarbanes was the lead sponsor of the similar For the People Act, which passed the then-Democrat-controlled House in 2021 and 2019. Senate Democrats unsuccessfully attempted to pass the bill in 2021.

The Freedom to Vote Act is part of a larger group of bills – including the John Lewis Freedom to Vote Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act and statehood for the District of Columbia – pushed for by leading Democrats.

Sarbanes joined other voting rights activists outside the United States Capitol Tuesday for a news conference pushing for the passage of the four bills.

Sarbanes told reporters that there are two things that affect the average person’s sense of worth in a democracy: the ability to get to the ballot box and elected officials’ efforts to carry out the voters’ “hopes and dreams.”

To address the second part, Sarbanes’ legislation would require more disclosures of campaign fundraising, internet political ads to disclose their sponsors and further restrict candidates from associating with PACs.

“This is where we’ve seen so many people frustrated and angered and plunged into deep cynicism for years now,” Sarbanes said at the news conference. “They elect lawmakers who come to Washington and other places but get influenced and captured by big money, by corporate interests, by dark, sinister voices that want to take over the democracy for themselves.”

Sarbanes called the package of four bills an “antidote for cynicism.”

With Republicans holding a very slim House majority, it is extremely unlikely that the four bills would come up to vote before the end of this Congress.

If Democrats regain control of the House and Senate after the November elections, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, predicted that Congress would pass the four voting rights bills.

However, Sarbanes is unlikely to get a chance to vote on this legislation before he leaves Congress.

Sarbanes announced in October of last year that he would not seek reelection for the House seat he has held since 2007. Instead, Sarbanes said he felt drawn back to contributing outside of his congressional duties, like working with nonprofits and volunteering.

Rep. Joe Morelle, D-New York, said Sarbanes “will be with us, both in body and spirit,” if the House is able to vote on the bills next year.

“Representative John Sarbanes has been both one of the brilliant heads and one of the passionate hearts around ensuring that we’re protecting all aspects of our democracy,” Maya Wiley, the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said during the press conference.

In the interview with CNS after the press conference, Sarbanes said there is a role for every American in the fight for voting rights.

“Most of the people at this press conference today are not lawmakers,” Sarbanes said, referring to representatives from the ACLU and voting rights advocates from other civil rights organizations. “They represent groups that are anchored out there in the country among Americans who want their voice and vote to be respected. That broad team is a team that anyone can be on for the duration, and I intend to be part of that team.”

As for leaving Congress before his “democracy reform” legislation is passed, Sarbanes said there have always been new faces joining the voting rights fight, following in the tradition of the late Democratic Reps. John Lewis of Georgia and Elijah Cummings of Maryland.

“This is a relay race, so you’re constantly handing the baton to another team member or group of team members who’s going to carry the effort forward,” Sarbanes said.