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
Civil Rights Leaders Lobby Congress to Prioritize the Passage of National Voting Standards in 2025
WASHINGTON – Civil rights leaders and issue-based advocacy organizations gathered on Capitol Hill today to urge members of Congress to prioritize the passage of key pro-democracy bills, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act, and Washington, D.C. Admission Act, in the next legislative session. Earlier in the day, speakers from impacted communities shared how restrictive voting laws, in states across the country, have made it harder for them to exercise their right to vote and intentionally diluted their voting power, particularly among communities of color. As we head into another historic election season these speakers, alongside key congressional leaders, underscored the importance of protecting our freedom to vote to ensure every American has an equal opportunity to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
The Leadership Conference Statement on the Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
WASHINGTON — Leslie Proll, senior director of the voting rights program at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the 59th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act:
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.