21st-Century American Voting Rights & Electoral Reforms

Representation

Elected officials reflect the people who vote for them.

Participation

Determines who gets represented.

15th Amendment

Prohibits denying voting rights based on race.

19th Amendment

Grants women's suffrage.

24th Amendment

Bans poll taxes.

26th Amendment

Lowers voting age to 18.

Reapportionment

Reassigning House seats after the Census.

Redistricting

Drawing boundaries for congressional districts.

Gerrymandering

Manipulating district boundaries for political advantage.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Established 'one person, one vote' (equal-protection principle).

Shelby County v. Holder (2013)

Struck down Section 4 coverage formula of VRA.

Voting Rights Act (1965)

Eliminated discriminatory practices and required federal approval for voting law changes.

Automatic Voter Registration (AVR)

Registers people at agencies unless they opt out.

Same-Day Registration (SDR)

Allows registration and voting on the same day.

Universal Mail Voting / No-Excuse Absentee

Everyone can vote by mail without needing a reason.

Early Voting

More days plus more flexibility equals fewer scheduling barriers.

Polling Place Access Improvements

More polling locations lead to shorter wait times.

Felon Re-enfranchisement

Restoring voting rights after incarceration.

Independent Redistricting Commissions (IRCs)

Goal is to reduce partisan gerrymandering.

Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV)

Voters rank candidates by preference to reduce vote-splitting.

National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC)

States pledge to award electoral votes to the national popular vote winner.

Strict Voter ID Laws

Aimed at integrity but can burden certain groups.

Reduced Early Voting or Poll Locations

Leads to long lines impacting working-class voters.

Felon Disenfranchisement Laws

Restrict voting for people with felony convictions in many states.

Access vs Participation

Legal access does not equal actual participation due to various barriers.

Why reforms matter

Expansive reforms reduce barriers while restrictive reforms increase them.

Equal Protection & the Vote

'Equal protection' requires equal weight of each person's vote.