Truthout
Voting Wrongs
We expose the injustices that deny the vote to millions — and cover the fight for true enfranchisement.
Series Introduction
In name, the United States is a democracy, but in practice, many millions of people are disenfranchised — whether because of felony convictions, undocumented status, onerous state and local voting restrictions, or other structural barriers. Partisan, racist gerrymandering manipulates districts, stifling the voting power of whole communities. Meanwhile, archaic mechanisms like the Electoral College prevent the votes of all people from being truly counted. Fortunately, activists around the country are working hard to gain the ballot — and make it count — for everyone in this country. This series, “Voting Wrongs,” exposes the injustices that disenfranchise vast numbers of people — and the bold efforts that seek to transform the way the United States does “democracy.”
Republicans Refuse to Extend Voter Registration as Hurricanes Strike Southeast
Civil rights groups filed emergency litigation seeking to reopen voter registration in Florida and Georgia.
The GOP Is Engaged in an Eleventh-Hour Effort to Change Mail-In Voting Rules
The GOP’s lawsuits against mail-in voting could pave the way for vote suppression and election denial in swing states.
In Texas, Racist Conspiracy Theories Fuel Suppression of Latino Voters
House candidate Cecilia Castellano tells Truthout Ken Paxton’s investigations into voter fraud are a “partisan attack.”
GOP Is Targeting Disabled Alabamians With Voting Restrictions
Under Alabama’s SB 1, people who assist voters with absentee ballot applications could face a 20-year prison sentence.
Conservative SCOTUS Justices Give “OK” to Racial Gerrymander in South Carolina
Pundits noted the “disastrous” decision “gives politicians the greenlight to racially gerrymander” elsewhere in the US.
Gerrymandering Denies Incarcerated People Fair Democratic Representation
The US Census counts incarcerated people as residents of prisons, not their home towns — with undemocratic results.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Hears Arguments Over “Wildly Gerrymandered” Maps
The state Supreme Court will issue a ruling on the legality of the maps sometime in early 2024, well ahead of elections.
Federal Court Guts Enforcement of Voting Rights Act in “Catastrophic” Ruling
“This ruling is a travesty for democracy,” said ACLU lawyer Sophia Lin Lakin.
Virginia “Voting Rights Restoration” Process May Be a Form of Voter Suppression
“Modern voter suppression is like death by a million cuts,” one voting rights advocate told Truthout.
A 2023 Wave of “Election Subversion” Bills Threatens 2024 Results
Legislation in 38 states would set conditions for the kind of “chaos and delay” that Trump exploited in 2020.