Voting Rights

Voting rights are the protections that let eligible citizens register, cast a ballot, and have that ballot counted on equal terms. They rest on the Constitution, on federal civil rights laws, and on state election rules. Congress, federal courts, the Department of Justice, and state and local election officials all shape them.

People usually bring questions about how the Constitution and civil rights laws protect the vote. They ask how voting became more open over time, how district lines affect the weight of a vote, and how hard it is to vote in different places. They also want to know what courts have said about these protections.