Voting Rights
As some government officials try to take away our right to vote, We The Majority know that America's democracy is our strength and must never be manipulated for political purposes.
Voting is the language of American democracy. The ability to participate in civic life — to have a voice in choosing the elected officials whose decisions impact our lives, families, and communities — is at the core of what it means to be an American.
At our nation’s founding, voting was enshrined only for educated white men who owned property. It took more than a century for the franchise to meaningfully expand to people of color, women, people with disabilities, people who are low-income, and Native Americans. Today, some elected leaders are still working to silence people who were historically denied access to the ballot box.
At The Leadership Conference, we are working to modernize elections and build a 21st century democracy — a democracy where all of our voices are heard. With our coalition partners, we inform the public, decision-makers, and the media about barriers to voting and advocate for policies that expand the right to vote, especially in communities of color. Voting, and the ability to participate in democracy, is a racial justice issue. It is a civil rights issue. And we are overdue for a change.
Our Priorities
Restore and Strengthen Voting Rights
On June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court delivered a devastating blow to the Voting Rights Act with its ruling in Shelby County v. Holder (2013), which gutted protections for voters of color in states and local jurisdictions with a history of voting discrimination. Since that time, anti-voter politicians have enacted scores of laws and practices making it harder for people to vote. Our coalition is leading efforts to save democracy by enacting federal voting rights legislation that will provide everyone an opportunity to cast a ballot and have that ballot count.
Pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act ›
Pass The Freedom to Vote Act ›
Latest News
WATCH: Civil Rights Leaders And Impacted Voters Speak in Opposition to the SAVE Act
WASHINGTON — Today, civil rights leaders and impacted voters came together to highlight the devastating impact the SAVE Act would have on our communities and our power to make the decisions that shape our futures. As the U.S. House of Representatives prepares to put the SAVE Act (H.R. 22) up for a vote this week, our elected officials must put voters first and reject this dangerous attack on the freedom to vote of all.
The Leadership Conference Statement on Trump’s Executive Order to Upend Our Elections
WASHINGTON — Jesselyn McCurdy, executive vice president for government affairs at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s executive order seeking to upend our elections and disenfranchise millions of voters:
Our nation could not have predicted the last two years. But instead of cowering to the hateful rhetoric and anti-civil rights policies of the Trump administration, we are raising our voices to defend the America we all deserve.