Amplifying Voting Rights: The Essence of Our Democracy
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Lydia Obasi once said, “My vote is my voice…and the voice of all who struggled, so that I may have my voice.” Voting has been a crucial part of political discourse for generations, as it has historically been used to allocate power to specific groups within the United States. In the 1700s, the right to vote was bestowed solely to white male landowners. The aftermath consisted of decades of poll taxes and literacy tests to keep the right to vote out of the hands of African American men, women, youth, indigenous groups, and immigrants from U.S. territories like Puerto Rico. Achieving the right to vote for these many groups has not been an easy road, as many individuals sacrificed their lives fighting for a voice in politics that has seemingly become forgotten in today’s current state. Today, along with a new wave of voter suppression, people have become apathetic and passive, unenthusiastic to engage in their civic duty of voting.
Whilst voting rates of various groups fluctuate, one thing remains constant—the massive role voting plays in the government and public policy. Contrary to what many believe, the right to vote is not just significant when choosing a president. It also allows you to elect judges who will interpret rules and the law and set precedent, state congressmen and legislatures who directly oversee your state and neighborhoods—setting state law that has a direct impact on its state citizens—and federal representatives and senators that advocate for your needs in Congress. Voting gives you the power to elect individuals who share the same morals to represent you and determine a better quality of life for you and your loved ones. Voting decides where your tax dollars go and how much schools, hospitals, public spaces, infrastructure, and the arts get. Voting is essential because it allows for a variety of groups to have a seat on the floor, rather than groups being disregarded and not taken into consideration for any policy. Voting directly impacts the bills and laws that are passed, which will impact employment, housing, education, and health.
For the past several years, the U.S. has seen a shift in voting policies and turmoil covering the topic of voting. Currently, states have a wide variety of differences in how they conduct voting. States like Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Arizona have a strict deadline for voters to register, whilst other states like Virginia, Wyoming, and California have no deadline to register. As it stands, 15 states do not require a voter to present a valid form of ID to vote, and other states require signature verification. Some states like Maine and Alaska have implemented rank-choice voting to some extent, while states like Florida and Kentucky have prohibited rank-choice voting entirely. In 2021, legislators introduced 389 bills with restrictive voting provisions in 48 states. Twenty-two bills with restrictive provisions have already been enacted. These restrictive provisions included limiting absentee voting and disability access. Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama have passed laws since 2020 restricting who can witness a person sign their absentee ballot, how many ballots a single person can witness, and who can return those ballots on behalf of the voters. These laws have been intentionally targeting specific communities. For example, Alabama is one of only four states that don’t allow in-person early voting, and absentee voting is more often used by Black voters who work regular jobs and can’t visit the polls on election day.
Voter suppression has become an implicit goal on many leaders’ political agenda. This has been pushed through legislation physically limiting individuals from voting and using media to create a lack of faith in the voting system to keep citizens complacent with everything going on. In the days leading up to the 2024 Presidential Election, ballots were set on fire in Oregon, Washington, and Arizona. Hundreds of ballots were damaged in these fires, and as we know in certain swing counties and states, mere votes may separate the winner and the loser. This intimidation tactic would most likely impact individuals of the Democratic party as they are more likely to mail in their ballots. Additionally, Republican officials have weaponized the media to cast doubt on the voting system, fueling conspiracies of voter fraud and stolen elections. Donald Trump has said on multiple occasions that the Democrats rigged the 2020 election, that mail-in-ballots cause massive fraud, and that we have a bad voting system. False accusations that have been fact-checked and debunked and the use of negative rhetoric surrounding our voting system may encourage individuals not to vote because they do not believe that it would make a difference.
These voter suppression tactics and limitations disenfranchise voters of minority groups, maintaining voting power in wealthy white Americans. Studies have shown that enacting strict voter ID laws, restrictions on Sunday voting, and polling place consolidation primarily harm racial and ethnic minorities, furthering the racial gap in voting. A study showed that voters of color in states across the country lacked access to the necessary IDs to vote in their state. Furthermore, another study showed that voters of color were substantially more likely to vote on Sundays in Georgia than their white counterparts. Also, a Brennan Center study showed that polling place consolidation severely depressed turnout in Milwaukee’s presidential primary, and the effects were more profound for Black voters. Voters of color are also more likely to face more difficulties voting by mail. For example, their mail-in ballots were rejected at a much higher rate than white voters in the Georgia primary in 2020, the Georgia 2018 general election, and Florida’s 2018 general election. Most of these tactics have been weaponized by racially diverse states controlled by Republicans.
For democracy to flourish and for representation to accurately represent the demographic of the United States, voting rights need to expand and remain fair. There are many changes that can be implemented that could create a positive impact towards amplifying voting rights.
Firstly, instating Election Day as a federal holiday with paid time off would significantly benefit voters. A common barrier for voters casting their ballots in person is getting time away from their jobs. Among American registered voters in the 2016 presidential election, being too busy was the third-highest reason people cited for not voting, accounting for 2.7 million people who did not cast a vote. This is most likely to impact those in low-income communities who cannot afford to miss work because they need the income to care for their families. A foreseeable disadvantage of having Election Day as a federal holiday is that federal law doesn’t require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays, which could still disadvantage low-income and blue-collar workers. This disadvantage could be mitigated by further reforms discussed below, as there are still many low-income workers in the public sector who would still benefit from having Election Day off to vote. Furthermore, even if the federal government cannot require private companies to observe holidays, around 75% of civilian workers receive paid holidays that often do align with the federal schedule.
Secondly, legislators should expand voting rights to U.S. territories, provide federal protections for absentee ballots, and make absentee ballot forms easier to fill out. Lastly, there needs to be more poll sites and equitable in-person voting treatment. In Shelby County v. Holder, the provision of the Voting Rights Act that stopped many discriminatory voting laws from going into effect was gutted. Ever since then, there have been changes to Election Day polling places that have created barriers for members of marginalized groups. Polling place closures have been especially rampant in Southern states with high Black voter populations. For example, between 2012 and 2018, Louisiana governments closed 126 polling places.
There needs to be a massive movement urging the need to expand voting rights and fight back against voter suppression tactics that have been growing in recent years. We can take inspiration from New York State, which has made necessary progressive changes to ensure that residents have easy access to voting rights. New York has passed legislation designed to protect people of color against voter suppression, clarifying that small errors like stray marks on a ballot are not automatic grounds to disqualify a ballot, requiring high schools to give students voter registration forms, and requiring jails to provide people leaving custody with information on their voting rights. To apply pressure to your state governments, take ten minutes out of your day to reach out to your Senators and Representatives with your concerns. Additionally, support the many nonprofits and organizations, like the Brennan Center for Justice and ACLU, that are dedicated to publishing information regarding voting rights and advocating for voting rights.
If action isn’t taken and we continue to let this slide under the rug, we can say goodbye to diverse representation in government and equality within elections.
Suggested Citation: Marieya Jagroop, Amplifying Voting Rights: The Essence of Our Democracy, Cornell J.L. & Pub. Pol’y, The Issue Spotter, (Apr. 14, 2025), https://jlpp.org/amplifying-voting-rights-the-essence-of-our-democracy/.
Marieya Jagroop is a second-year law student at Cornell Law School. She graduated from Macaulay Honors at John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a degree in Political Science and Psychology. Aside from her involvement with Cornell Law School’s Journal of Law and Public Policy, she is Vice President of the Latin American Law Students Association and Co-Secretary of the Black Law Students Association.