In my current hometown of New York City, we’re gearing up for local elections, and the city is buzzing with energy. Everywhere you turn, you can find campaign flyers hanging outside of storefronts, canvassers ringing doorbells to hand out their favorite candidates’ pamphlets, and billboards reminding New Yorkers to vote. I’m grateful to live in a place that takes democracy so seriously, and that’s so dedicated to informing people of their rights.
Unfortunately, this is not the case with election season everywhere. Voting rights have been under attack for the better part of the last decade. In 2013, the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder took down a crucial element of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, making it easier for states to change their voting laws to disenfranchise voters of color. Before the Shelby case, states required “preclearance” from the federal government before making any sweeping changes to their voting rights legislation. But that requirement is no more, and many conservative states — led by leadership that continues to believe in a racial caste hierarchy of humanity — are taking the opportunity to make it more complicated for people of color to vote.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is, of course, one of the most pivotal pieces of legislation ever introduced into the United States. It was enacted after the efforts of millions of Black Americans and their allies — after these activists marched, protested, and were hosed down, brutalized and arrested for standing in the face of the dominant caste. As voting rights once again come under fire, we cannot forget these legacies.
The ideals that these activists fought for — and the principles that inspired the Voting Rights Act — have been woven into the fabric of who we are as a country. All people deserve the right to vote for candidates who will represent them fairly and justly. Racism and discrimination are unacceptable at the ballot box. The color of your skin, the amount of money to your name, or the zip code where you live should not determine whether you have a say in the public officials who represent you. These ideals are central to who we are as a country.
Or at least they should be. The last few years have seen an onslaught of legislation making it more difficult to vote, and communities of color are bearing the greatest burdens. These bills complicate voter registration processes, cut back on early or absentee voting, and in many cases attempt to impose strict ID requirements. As of this March, legislators have introduced 361 restrictive voting bills in 47 states, according to the Brennan Center. Five have already been signed into law.
The last few years have seen an onslaught of legislation making it more difficult to vote, and communities of color are bearing the greatest burdens.
This is yet another example of the caste system in action. Legislators are identifying groups more likely to vote against them and creating inane restrictions meant to keep them out of the political process entirely. It’s no coincidence that these bills are rolling in after the 2020 election, when surges of early and absentee voting helped usher in Joe Biden as the next president, an utter rejection of the white supremacy and violent rhetoric spewed by our previous president.
Some leaders have introduced legislation to address these challenges. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act, introduced last year, would restore preclearance in some states and make it easier for the federal government to crack down on voter suppression efforts. Another bill, the For the People Act, or HR1, would implement major voting reforms, from automatic voter registration to requiring presidents to release their tax returns. These bills are promising, though it is difficult to say whether they could realistically be passed in our current legislative climate.
While policy change is an important step in this process, we also need sweeping cultural change in this country. We are long overdue for some soul-searching about our country’s insistence on enforcing a racial caste system, and how many millions of people we are leaving behind when we do it. Voting is such a critical component of how America works, but right now, it is only working for some. (And yet, it is so often those who proclaim themselves the most loyal patriots who do the most to undermine American democracy; imagine that.)
While policy change is an important step in this process, we also need sweeping cultural change in this country.
And, of course, we need to elect politicians who are compassionate, ethical, and just in how they legislate in order to bring about important policy changes. But in order to achieve that, we need to ensure that all people have the right to vote for those candidates. See how this cycle continues? It’s frustrating and unfair, and it’s time for it to end.
If you’re looking to get more involved with voting rights in your community, I recommend following the ACLU’s important work on securing voting rights for all. You can attend events near you, contact your legislators, or donate money to their efforts, if you are willing and able. You can also do some research to see what local groups in your community might already be organizing around voting rights (especially if you’re also coming up on election season) and join up with their organization.
Another way to take action is to look within yourself at what ideas you and your peers may have that could better our nation. While we must continue to reform the system from within, we also need transformative new ideas to imagine what is possible for our multicultural nation, a country that encompasses global diversity unmatched anywhere else in the world. I encourage you to read about the idea of vetting — here’s the piece I wrote about it a few weeks ago — and how some activists are dreaming up new methods of transformative justice. What would our politics look like if we could create clear systems of accountability for our governments to rid themselves of racial bias and hatred? I invite you to come up with your own ideas and share them with me at @bemorewithanu.
we also need transformative new ideas to imagine what is possible for our multicultural nation
Whatever path to action you take, know that your work is worthwhile and your efforts matter. It is on all of us to preserve our voting rights, one of the things that makes our democracy worthwhile, and to defend the civil liberties of all people, no matter their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or zip code. The next time an election rolls around where you live, pay close attention to who is represented at the ballot box and who isn’t. Then, take action.