South of the border, there’s a battle brewing for the most basic expression of democracy — voting.

And there’s never been more at stake.

Former President Donald Trump has repeated false allegations that the 2020 election results are fraudulent due to massive, widespread voter tampering. This has inspired a wave of voter restriction measures at the state level — 43 states in all — and if passed, could represent some of the most restrictive voting laws since the Jim Crow era.

At the same time, the U.S. Senate is about to debate one of the most important civil rights bill in a generation, one that could bring substantial protections to voters and help stop the barrage of restrictions.

But passing it will be extremely difficult.

Elamin is joined by Michael Mark Cohen, a professor in American Studies at the University of California Berkeley, and Michael Barajas, a reporter for the Texas Observer.