The Right to Vote
We say we are a society in which all people are created equal and deserve equal protection under the law. The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868. It declared persons born in the US are citizens and deserve equal protection. It created a society of equals and laid out the path to the American dream. And defined citizenship. The right to have rights is embedded in the Constitution. However current laws and practices do not reflect that principle.
The 15th Amendment granted the right to vote to all citizens. There was massive resistance and backlash in Jim Crow states because it codified the right to vote for the newly freed enslaved. And they employed means both violent and non-violent to deny the vote. The KKK, Knight Riders, and other racist terrorist groups set fire to homes, and lynched and killed Black people who tried to vote. Fannie Lou Hamer, founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party had her home destroyed.
In 1965, congress passed the Voting Rights Act which outlawed voter intimidation. And voter participation among Blacks increased exponentially. However, in 2013 The Roberts Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. It allowed states yet again to apply methods that suppress the votes of certain populations of Americans.
This November we will participate in a national election that will determine who our national and state leaders will be. The stakes are high Women’s reproductive rights, immigration, gun laws and the nature of our democracy is on the ballot. It is important that the right to vote be secured for all citizens. And there are actions we all can take to ensure fair and free elections. The following groups are involved in supporting voting rights:
Common Cause
Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. They work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest.
Reclaim the American Dream
Reclaim the American Dream focuses on empowering citizens to take action in their communities and ensure their voices are heard in the democratic process.
Brennan Center for Justice
The Brennan Center for Justice is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to reform, revitalize, and defend the country's systems of democracy and justice.
Phone: 626-292-8330
Demos
Demos is a dynamic think tank that powers the movement for a just, inclusive, multiracial democracy. They focus on creating a democracy and economy rooted in racial equity.
President: Heather McGhee
Phone: 212-633-1405
Fair Fight Action
Founded by Stacey Abrams, Fair Fight Action is dedicated to ensuring free and fair elections by fighting against voter suppression and advocating for electoral reform.
Founder and Chair: Stacey Abrams
ACLU
The ACLU works in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States.