Last month, I published an article in the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review titled, “Ending the Cycles of Voter Suppression”. In the article, I provide a brief history of voter suppression and propose measures that can lead us to dismantle it once and for all. I encourage you to read the full article here.

My article explains that our country has repeatedly endured cycles of voter suppression that involve periods of progress followed by the implementation of regressive laws. Our cycles of voter suppression tend to last approximately a hundred years: consider from the founding of our nation to the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment (94 years), or from the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment to the passage of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) (95 years). The end of each cycle occurred with the passage of impactful legislation that massively added to the electorate. 

In 2025, we are sixty years into another cycle of voter suppression—a cycle that began with passage of the VRA, followed by decades of increasingly aggressive efforts to dismantle it. However, all hope is not lost. Defending and maintaining democracy requires a multi-faceted approach.

As I explain in the article, even though courts continue to serve as an option for relief, they have also demonstrated numerous times in this century that they are not a viable solution due to their anti-democratic and anti-voter decisions.

Instead, I argue that in order to end voter suppression once and for all, Congress must restore the VRA’s principles of notice, transparency, and fairness, while also adapting it to address modern challenges. Enshrining an affirmative right to vote in the Constitution can help lead the way in expanding access to the ballot and ensuring every eligible citizen can vote freely. States must also step in to protect voting rights through state-level voting protections. Finally, we must revitalize civic education and promote civic engagement through grassroots organizations because the power of people has always been key to shaping this nation into a truly democratic country. 

As we work toward ending voter suppression, we must not forget that “democracy delayed is democracy denied.” 

Defending democracy is 24/7/365.