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.”
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.
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.
The Right Has Expanded Its Dark Money Strategy for Dominating School Boards
The far right built an elaborate new infrastructure for attacking public education in the run-up to the midterms.
Right-Wing Dark Money Flooded the Midterm, But Young Voters Beat the Red Wave
GOP-aligned dark money groups spent big trying to generate a “red wave” in the midterms -- but they lost instead.
Ocasio-Cortez Cautions: “Don’t Fall for” GOP Lies About Mail-In Ballot Counting
It’s normal for officials to take days to count ballots — but the GOP no longer has regard for election procedures.
Georgia’s Governor Deputized GOP Vigilantes to Challenge 149,000 Voters
Black voters in Georgia say the challenges issued by vigilantes amount to a racist poll tax and a new Jim Crow.