Democrats have a long and proud history of fighting for voting rights that continues to this day. One of the most important rights of American citizens is the right to vote—the right to have a say in who our leaders are and how our government should work. But the path to full voting rights for all American citizens was long and often challenging, and for far too many people, obstacles to voting remain even today. Democrats have a long and proud history of fighting for voting rights that continues to this day.
One of the most important rights of American citizens is the right to vote—the right to have a say in who our leaders are and how our government should work. Our Party's platform promises to fully protect and enforce the fundamental Constitutional voting rights of every American, and we believe that "voting rights are fundamental rights because they are protective of all other rights." But the path to full voting rights for all American citizens was long and challenging, and for far too many people, obstacles to voting remain even today.
The expansion of voting rights did not happen overnight; it was the product of a continued struggle by many people over many years. The women's suffrage movement, beginning in the mid-1800s, succeeded in 1920 with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. Calls for the voting age to be lowered to 18 began as early as the 1940s, championed by Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, and the 26th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1971. Universal suffrage was a key aspect of the civil rights struggle, and President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law in 1965. Landmark legislation, the Voting Rights Act, ushered in new hope, not only for African Americans but also for every citizen's confidence in free and fair elections.
Many voters still face difficulties at the polls, from registering to casting a ballot to having their votes counted. Those particularly vulnerable are minority, young, elderly, poor, and disabled voters, as well as military members and veterans. And in many parts of the country, voters are underserved by a lack of polling places, outdated voting machines, and unnecessarily complicated laws.
We are making progress, but we won't stop working to promote a system of elections that is accessible, open, and fair—a system that ensures that every eligible person can cast a vote and that every lawfully cast vote is counted.
This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.