We Need an Explicit Constitutional Right to Vote
Voting should be protected, promoted, and practiced
Voting is an American principle and a basic democratic right that should be protected, promoted and practiced. Surprisingly, the U.S. Constitution provides no explicit right to vote, leaving voting vulnerable to politicians’ whims and some citizens with fewer rights than others.
The Right to Vote in the News
Catch the latest news on the Right to Vote Amendment
The Right to Vote Coalition
Plug in to the movement for a constitutional right to vote
The Right to Vote Amendment Coalition is a growing group of organizations and academics working together to establish an explicit right to vote in the U.S. Constitution. This website was launched as a portal to educational resources and opportunities to get involved in the right to vote movement. Here are some of the groups taking action.
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If You're Not Convinced Yet
The Impact of a Right to Vote Amendment
Even as the rising American electorate gains momentum, new regressive laws, rulings, and maneuvers are threatening the right to vote without facing the strict scrutiny that would come with a constitutional right to vote. Too often we run elections on the cheap, opening the door to fraud and abuse, and to unequal voting rules in the 10,000-plus jurisdictions that make their own decisions about how to run elections. Last year, the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), stripping the Justice Department of the powers it had for five decades to curb racial discrimination in voting. Congress has effectively neutered the Elections Assistance Commission. Today, many schools skip civic education, contributing to the decline in voter turnout in local and primary elections.
Enshrining an explicit right to vote in the Constitution would guarantee the voting rights of every citizen of voting age, ensure that every vote is counted correctly, and defend against attempts to enfranchise ineligible voters and disenfranchise eligible voters. It would empower Congress to enact minimum electoral standards to guarantee a higher degree of legitimacy, inclusivity, and consistency across the nation, and give our courts the authority to keep politicians in check when they try to game the vote for partisan reasons.
The right to vote amendment is about you. It's about us. It's about putting the right to vote out of reach of partisan politics. Let's take a stand for government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Enshrining an explicit right to vote in the Constitution would guarantee the voting rights of every citizen of voting age, ensure that every vote is counted correctly, and defend against attempts to enfranchise ineligible voters and disenfranchise eligible voters. It would empower Congress to enact minimum electoral standards to guarantee a higher degree of legitimacy, inclusivity, and consistency across the nation, and give our courts the authority to keep politicians in check when they try to game the vote for partisan reasons.
The right to vote amendment is about you. It's about us. It's about putting the right to vote out of reach of partisan politics. Let's take a stand for government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
