Voting Rights and You

Chip Somodevilla / Getty / The Atlantic

In the 2020 election, it seemed that faith in the right to free and fair elections was at an all time low as this country's former president sowed discontent and distrust in the existing voting system. The voting system in the United States is far from perfect but as we finished another census year, state legislatures across the country are redrawing their districts and many GOP-led states are doing so in ways that will dilute the power of Black and Latinx voters. While the "cracking" part of gerrymandering is technically illegal, redistricting in partisan favor is not, and Republican states have little interest in granting minorities more voting power. Voting rights are once again on the national agenda and many worry that the White House is not doing enough to guarantee voting rights across the country.
President Biden and Vice President Harris ran on the promise to enfranchise previously discriminated against populations by expanding early voting as well as declaring Voting Day a federal holiday, among other resolutions. However some feel that this administration is getting too bogged down in other things - mainly the spending package. And that is a fair critique as new districts could very well be in effect by the next election cycle which will undoubtedly have repercussion on exactly who gets represented. While administration leaders are letting infrastructure guide their decisions, state and congressional representatives are worrying themselves with their possible fate come midterms. It will certainly be interesting to see how new lines are drawn in the upcoming months. 

Is Biden Doing Enough to Protect Democracy?Is Biden Doing Enough to Protect Democracy?

Comments

  1. Remy EllisonOctober 25, 2021 at 12:24 PM

    Honestly, I figured, given the challenges with voting and voting rights in 2020, that this issue would be at the top of Biden's agenda. The legality of gerrymandering almost doesn't matter when unchecked, partisan redistricting, as you mention, is happening all the time. The article you linked at the bottom, explains the implications of lacking representation and not prioritizing the expansion of voting rights and access means for many minority and low-income groups in America, who often don't have the ability to take off work or must work un-proportionally more just to register and show up to the polls. I hope more can be done on this issue.

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