Most Americans in Jail Have the Right to Vote — But They Need Access and Information to Make Their Voices Heard
by Aadam Barclay, Voting Rights Project Legal Intern — Summer 2025 Most Americans in jail maintain the right to vote, but only a fraction of those eligible actually cast a ballot. Even in states that have expanded access, voter turnout in jails has not increased in kind. All but two states and Washington, […]
Inconsistent and Arbitrary Competency Laws Restrict Voter Access for Individuals with Disabilities and Under Conservatorship
By Elena Edwards Voting Rights Project Legal Intern — Summer 2025 While the right to vote is foundational in a democracy, not all Americans have equal access to the ballot––including a group which may not get as much attention in voting rights discourse: Americans under guardianship or with mental disabilities. When reviewing absentee ballot records […]
Revisiting Reconstruction: Can Civil War Era Readmission Acts Reinforce Modern Voter Protection?
By Ithar M. Hassan Voting Rights Project Legal Intern — Summer 2025 On June 23, 2025, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear Virginia’s appeal that sought to stop a legal challenge to the state’s policy of banning people with felony convictions from voting unless the governor restores their rights. The case will […]
A Message from Fair Elections Center President & CEO Rebekah Caruthers on the 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
Dear Friends, Today is the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965. I cannot help but reflect that, at the time it was passed—and into the early 2000s—the VRA enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support. Since then, that consensus has been steadily undermined, most egregiously in 2013, when the […]
How New York City’s Upcoming Mayoral Election Could Shape Election Reform Efforts
By Morgan Munroe Voting Rights Project Legal Intern — Summer 2025 The nation’s largest city could be on the verge of electing a mayor with less than 40% of the vote. The last time a New York citywide election was won with such a small plurality, it led to major changes in the city’s […]
Voting Rights and People with Disabilities
Special Guest Blog by Michelle Bishop, Fair Elections Center Board Member In my position as Voter Access & Engagement Manager at the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), I cover the Venn space where you take the overlap of disability rights and voting rights and put them together. This area became part of the NDRN with […]
Becoming American at the Ballot Box
By: Yasmine Ganemtore, Communications Intern When I voted for the first time in the 2024 general election, I became the first person in my family to participate in the democratic process of this country. My parents immigrated here in search of better opportunities, but they never had the chance to vote in the United States. […]
How Ease of Access to Polling Locations Impacts Participation in Elections
By: Yasmine Ganemtore, FEC Communications Intern Voting is a basic right in our democracy, but what you may not know is where you vote is often shaped by state law and the decisions of local officials. Along with voter ID laws or registration deadlines, the physical location of polling places plays a major role in […]
Dolores Huerta: A Life of Activism, Justice, and Voting Rights
Dolores Huerta is one of the most influential civil rights activists in American history.
Why You Need to Vote In Non-Federal Elections
Non-federal elections determine the leadership and policies that govern our communities, schools, and workplaces.